Steam and Shadows
by aelisabethchilds
Summary: A Zutara fanfic- With a new time of prosperity hovering over the four nations, Firelord Zuko has organized a conference of Nations, requesting representatives from each nation to come to the Fire Nation. Katara comes as part of the Water Tribe party, and with her arrival old feelings are brought to surface, as well as new duties and obstacles for a sinister love stands in the way.
1. Chapter 1-A Prologue

**aelisabethchilds:**

**Hey y'all! This is my very first Zutara fanfic, but it's been a long time coming. **

**And heads up, while there will definitely be some Zutara action, it'll be progressive. There are a few problems that Zuko and Katara have to face and conquer. **

She dreamt of their first kiss for ages. It had been perfect.

_The sun was setting over the low, frozen hills behind her home. With her back to the dying rays of light, Katara grinned as she watched her opponent struggle to remove himself from the block of ice she had constructed around him. _

"_This isn't fair!" He complained, wrenching his left hand free. With a swift swipe, he obliterated the rest of his prison. _

"_You're the one who asked to spar." She answered, walking over to where he now stood, dripping on the ice. "Let's head back, you're going to get sick if we stay out here any longer." _

"_A little cold never hurt a man," he protested, looking down at her, "And besides, that was fun. I'm up for another round if you are."_

_Katara glanced at the sky, and noticed how close the sun was to the horizon._

"_It's late." She said, turning to start the trek back to the city. A second later a pair of hands grabbed her ankles, and she went down._

_Katara shrieked._

"_Come on," he taunted, standing up and spreading his arms out, "Once more, and this time with no bending."_

_He had been teaching Katara more advanced self-defense for weeks now, and though she was good, he was still better._

"_I'll just end up with bruises on my bottom," she answered, "Again."_

"_I'll go easy on you," he promised, "No bruises."_

_She stood still a moment, considering just how angry Sokka would be if she was late to make dinner- Suki was visiting Kyoshi again, leaving her poor older brother to fend for himself. Sokka could wait._

"_FIne." _

_With that, she lowered herself into a firm stance, and waited. _

_He did the same, then grinned at her._

"_Your move." _

_Another second passed, and then, without blinking, she launched herself across the space that separated them. She came at him sideways, aware that this made her a little unbalanced, but also a smaller target._

_He leaped to the right just as she was about to jab his stomach, and then spun around and leapt at her. Turning sharply, she twisted out of his extended arms, which, if they wrapped around her torso, could crush her into surrender. _

_With a cry she came at him again, kicking out once, twice. The second kick landed on his hip, pushing his out of his defensive stance. He growled, and jumped back as she kicked once more. _

_The sun was already sinking past the horizon, and it cast their lengthy shadows onto the ice, mirroring each jab, every duck, and the few blow that actually landed. Katara had grown accomplished at dodging his attempts to knock her down. _

_Finally, she made a mistake. Breathing hard, she miscalculated, and stepped onto a particularly icy patch of ground. She flailed a moment, then was tackled to the ground. _

"_I win." He was leaning over her, arms braced at her sides, a triumphant grin lighting his familiar, handsome face._

_Katara groaned, trying to ignore the sudden pulse of heat that leapt into her face._

"_Fine. Now, can I get up?"_

_His face became pensive as he looked down at her, "I don't know...I think I deserve a bit of recognition for my skill. It isn't everyday that a humble man can say he bested the greatest waterbender in the South Pole."_

_His voice dropped to a whisper, and Katara became oblivious to the chunk of ice biting into her back, and the cold wind teasing her hair. His eyes were intent on hers, his face coming closer. She could feel his breath on her cheek as he said "What should I ask for? A written acknowledgement, a medal, or maybe even a lock of hair? What do you think?"_

_Think? How could she think, he was so close, her chest was tightening in a strange way, and her pulse was thrumming in her ears. _

"_Um," She breathed out, " I don't' know- I'm not beaten that often. Maybe you should-_

_She was interrupted as his lips came down to silence hers. Her eyes fluttered a moment, then closed, letting the sensation overwhelm her. _

_Warm, was her first scattered thought. His lips were soft, and as they moved slowly over hers, she felt her arms reach up to his shoulders. Her lips parted, and she could feel his breath, his heat, his _soul_ in the space between. He lowered himself onto her lightly, and after she gripped his shoulders tighter. _

_He broke the kiss, and she felt a wrench in the bottom of her stomach, then smiling slightly, her kissed each corner of her mouth, and the tip of her nose. _

_Katara couldn't have said a word if her life depended on it. She lay on the ice- despite the encroaching dark, and the cold ground below her- she had never felt this warm in her entire life. Her whole body felt like it was glowing. _

_She breathed out, then opened her eyes. _

_He was staring into hers. _

_She felt a blush rise to her cheeks._

"_I've wanted to do that since the day we first met." He murmured, and in a smooth motion, he pushed himself up onto his heels, then extended a hand down to her. _

"_You have?" Katara stammered, letting herself get pulled up._

"_Yes."_

_She blushed more deeply, then turned her face up to his. _

"_Good," she said, standing on her tiptoes, "I had hoped the feeling was mutual."_

_Lakkin was still laughing as she kissed him._


	2. Chapter 2

**aelisabethchilds-**

**Another Chapter?! **

**That's right, despite my packed schedule, I'm still finding the time to write out this story:) Please: Review! REVIEW! REVIEW! Let me know what you think...**

The second kiss they shared had made her toes curl.

_Now's not the time be thinking about that_! With a shake of her head, Katara turned her attention back to the council meeting taking place in her home.

"How are we to respond, Hakoda?" An elderly man demanded, leaning across the low table in their dining room, "We can't spare any of the Council, not with the joining of the two tribes happening in a month. And even if they could be spared, who would wish to make the journey to the Fire Nation?"

Chief Hakoda sighed, rubbing his forehead slowly.

"We can't dismiss this, Councilman Ando, it's a personal invitation from the Firelord himself. If we chose to ignore him, the political repercussions would haunt the Water Tribes for years."

Katara glanced around the table, where the council members of the Southern Water Tribe-soon to be the Southern City of the Water Tribe- had gathered. All of the men were her father's age or older, and the 5 women around the table were old enough to be her Gran-gran. Actually, one of them was her Gran-gran. She was seated quietly next to her husband, Master Pakku. Catching Katara's wandering eye, she winked slowly then cleared her throat.

"Perhaps we shouldn't send one of the Elders to this conference."

Hakoda scowled and said "Mother-"

"Hush," she cut him off with a stern look, "As I was saying, perhaps it would be better to send representatives who are more comfortable with the new Firelord."

Katara's spine stiffened. She knew where this was going. Kanna had brought this up before the meeting, and if Gran-gran thought that Katara would travel to the Fire Nation now, when she was only 2 months from her-

"What are you suggesting, Councilwoman Kanna?" This came from a shriveled old man, sitting at the end of the table.

"I suggest that we respond to these summons, and send the children of our chief to the Fire Nation, to represent not only their family, but their tribe."

Katara bit back a groan. Why, in the name of everything under the moon had Gran-gran said that?

"What?!"

Sokka dragged himself away from his plate of penguin seal jerky, finally joining in the discussion.

"Hakoda, what do you think?' This came Pakku, who was rubbing his ribs slightly, probably recovering from the sharp jab his wife had just given him.

Hakoda rubbed his forehead one last time, then looked to Katara, who had sat straight backed through the entire meeting.

"Katara, what do you think?"

She groaned inwardly, knowing her duty. This conference was too important to miss, and it wasn't worth the risk of offending the other nations by the absence of Water Tribe representatives.

She took a deep breath and said, "I would be proud to represent our tribe in the Fire Nation." She shifted to meet the eyes of all the council members. Each one met her gaze, then Hakoda asked, "Sokka?"

"Um, I agree with Katara, and am-um- honored with opportunity."

"Any objections?" Queried Kanna, as Katara met Sokka's gaze. Her brother looked a little confused, meeting her eyes with his own wide ones.

"Hearing none," her Gran-gran continued, "We are dismissed. Remember our meeting in two weeks, to discuss the joining celebrations."

With that, the dining emptied quickly, leaving Katara's family behind.

"What," Sokka began, looking around the room, "Did I just agree to?"

"If you'd been listening, and not playing with your food, you would know." Kanna said, folding her arms across her chest.

Hakoda laughed as Sokka shrank under his grandmother's glare.

"Gee, Gran-gran. I was just hungry."

Katara leaned in conspiratorially and mock whispered, "You just signed away your first daughter to the Firelord's harem. You better break it to Suki gently."

Sokka choked on the sip of sea prune juice he had just taken, and turned purple.

"WHAT!?"

Katara kept her face dead serious for a moment, then cracked a smile.

"Kidding."

Sokka was fun to tease, and he made it _so_ easy.

He sputtered while the rest of her their family laughed, "Not funny Katara."

She grinned sweetly at her older brother, then looked at her father as he cleared his throat.

"Are you really okay with this?" He was studying her, "I know that this isn't a great time, what with your-"

"It's fine, Dad. It'll be good to do a little traveling. Planning the celebrations and ceremonies for the joining have been time consuming, I'd like a little change."

"What are we doing?" Sokka demanded again.

Gran-gran took pity on him, and explained the situation to him quickly.

"Oh," he said when she had finished, "That's not too bad. Suki'll be excited to travel too."

Suki and Sokka had married last winter, fours years after the war had ended. Despite claiming to hate the cold, Suki had agreed to come live at the South Pole. She had started up a small school for the children of the tribe, teaching them martial arts. The work was hard, and with Sokka heading up the expansion of their village, the couple had not traveled anywhere in the past year.

"Then it's settled" Pakku stated, helping himself to the tea left over from the meeting, "Katara, Sokka and Suki will journey to the Fire Nation to represent the Water Tribe."

Katara nodded as Pakku glanced at her. This could be a good thing; She _was _tired of all the planning the past months had held.

"Wait," Sokka began, his brows furrowed, "How long is this conference supposed to be?"

Hakoda shrugged, then said "The invitation claimed it would be a month of peaceful talks between all nations. I can't imagine it taking much longer than that."

"But we'll miss the joining of the Tribes!"

Gran-gran walked over to Sokka. "We know that, but you'll be doing something much more important than just signing a piece of paper, you and your wife and your sister will _be_ the Water Tribe during this conference. You'll be smoothing the way for future business and interactions between our tribe and the rest of the world," She laid a hand on Sokka's arm, "You'll be protecting our people in a way that no army or weapons could."

Katara hid a grin as Sokka puffed his chest out a little, looking satisfied. Flattery went a long way with Sokka.

She didn't mind missing the joining of the two tribes. In fact, she had been worrying about the event next month. It had consumed so much of her time-she worked with the bakers, the entertainers, the architects building the new banquet hall and making sure that there would be enough space for everyone- a nagging fear had been resting in the back of her mind for the past couple of days. She was afraid that the event would pass so smoothly-for how could it not, with all the work she had put in- that it would pass in the blink of an eye, and all her work would fade away. It was ridiculous, she knew, but she couldn't deny how she felt. Despite being weary of preparations, she had enjoyed her work, and the thought of seeing them come and go made a strange ache well up in her chest. It was like the end of a particularly good book, one that you wished could on forever.

With a sigh, Katara stood up from the table.

"I'm going to go for a walk," she said, then looked over to Gran-gran, "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No," Pakku answered for Kanna, "I'm cooking tonight, and if I don't I'll never be able to convince your Gran-gran that I can actually fend for myself."

Kanna, having returned to her husband's side, gave him another elbow jab, and ignoring his small groan, said, "I'm sure he just begged food from every woman unfortunate to know him back in the North Pole."

Katara slipped out of the dining room before her dad could mediate the budding argument. She paused a moment to grab her heavy coat from the front hall, then walked out of her house.

She was greeted by the sight of their busy street. Mothers called after their laughing children, a weaver was laying out new wool in her front window, and the smell of fresh smoked fish was wafting from somewhere around the corner. She chuckled as she remembered the little village she had left 5 years ago, at the beginning of her adventures with Aang. After the Fire Nation attacked, and was defeated at the North Pole, Pakku had journeyed back to their home, and started to rebuild the once great village, with the help of two architects from the North.

When Katara, Sokka and Hakoda returned home they had hardly recognized the village, for it had become a growing city, with large, spacious ice homes, a canal system similar to the North Pole's, and families from their sister tribe living in and helping build the place.

The day they returned, Kanna had greeted them as they descended from Appa's back, smiling slightly at Aang's awed "Did we come to the wrong spot?"

Gran-gran had assured them they were home, and proudly led them to their new house, near the center of the city. Sokka had nearly cried when he saw the large kitchen, and Katara had fallen in love with the view from the attics large balcony. Only Hakoda seemed uncomfortable in the new setting, a little angry to return to his village and find that the home he and his wife had shared was gone. His annoyance was quickly pushed aside when he was voted chief of the city, and his responsibilities began to pile up on him.

"Watch it!"

Katara jolted back to the present, and ducked just in time to miss a face full of ice, falling from the building above her. She glanced up to see a young waterbender from the North, Iluq, grinning over the edge of the house.

"Sorry Katara," he said, waving at her, "I was just cleaning up this roof line."

Iluq worked for one of the architects supervising the expansion of their town, and she suspected that his boss sent him up to the roofs to get Iluq out from under his feet. The boy had overenthusiastic down to a "t".

She waved back, then continued down the street, crossing over one of the many bridges that curved over the canals.

She was now in a more residential part of town, and she could almost make out-

"Katara!"

Katara turned to see Suki bearing down on her, balancing a basket on one hip, and a small toddler on the other.

"Hey Suki," she said, "and hello there, Shila. What have you been doing this afternoon?"

The little blue eyed girl smiled toothily at Katara and said "Thopping."

"Really?" Katara raised her eyebrows, putting her hands on her hips "What was your momma doing?"

Suki chuckled quietly.

"The wath thleeping," the little girl explained, frowning a little, "Thuki thaid i could come to the thtore with her."

Shila wriggled, and reached for the basket, grabbing something.

"Thee?" she demanded, "I bought thome thea prunes. They're Momma'th favourite."

Katara briefly touched the girls dark hair, and smiled at her.

"That was really nice, Shila."

The toddler looked beyond proud.

"I made her pick those out," Suki said as they started to walk toward her home, "I still can't stand them, no matter how many times Sokka makes them 'just for you, Suki'". The older woman shuddered.

They stopped at Shila's home, and exchanged greetings with Shila's mother, a woman a little younger than Katara, who had lived in the South Pole her whole life, and had married a warrior from the North. Once Suki had untangled herself from the toddler, she and Katara walked to her house.

"How was the meeting?" Suki asked as they settled in her warm living room, walls hung with thick tapestries.

"Long," Katara sighed, flinging herself back on the furs she had sat upon, "And boring. At least most of it. Gran-gran volunteered us- You, Sokka and me- to go the the conference in the Fire Nation."

"WHAT?!" Shrieked Suki, in an eerily similar way to Sokka's earlier cry, "Wh-When-Why-" the woman took a deep breath then said, "Tell me everything."

And so Katara did, starting with Zuko's first letter.

././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././.

Zuko had a headache. People scurried out of his way, and he made no attempt to soften his scowl as he strode down the halls towards his study.

"Fools!" He muttered, as he burst through the study doors, "Ignorant, puddle-brained, spineless, noble fools!"

He ended on a shout, throwing himself down on the long, low soft chaise that rested against the wall opposite his desk. The dark green cushions had served as a bed during the many nights he had closed himself in his study, trying to run a nation by himself.

He growled, and punched at one of those cushions now. Zuko always found the Cabinet of Nobles a trying group of high-minded vultures, but today-today!- they had nearly seen him lose his temper.

Why couldn't they see the benefits in his proposal? A single, unified currency throughout the nations would make trade easy, and encourage economic growth for all people. But the fools insisted that their _jin_ was good enough for them, that they liked their traditional currency, and "Why must the Firelord push for such change?"

The nobles liked the way things were. They still had their lands, they now had a hand in the governing of their country, and they still had their wealth. The prospect of changing their nation's currency was frightening to them, it threatened their security.

Zuko, scowled deeper, and reached up to take out his topknot crown; the heavy ornament was poking into his skull. Once it was free of his hair, he let it drop to the floor beside the chaise, and he rubbed his eyes, briefly allowing his fatigue to catch up to him.

It had been a long day, with bending practice in the morning, then a state breakfast with the Cabinet, then the actual meeting of nobles, a stuffy lunch- he'd taken a quick walk to cool off after that- then more meeting. The nobles had brought many petty concerns to him, but some had required real thought, and his headache was not receding.

He took a deep breath, and letting it out in a gusty sigh, he pushed himself up, and off the chaise.

He went over to his desk, littered with documents, and sat down. He had work to do.

Two hours later, Zuko pushed his chair back with a groan. He couldn't handle anymore reports on estates, or weather predictions for the upper plains, or invitations to social gatherings. He wanted to focus on the upcoming conference he had called, but even that had begun to be a headache, keeping track of the representatives, and where they would stay, and who they were bringing with them, and what they would-

A small envelope caught his eye. It was tucked under the plans for a new city park in the capitol, the drawings having shifted in his nightly attempt to tackle his pile of papers.

He reached and slipped it out from under the plans. As he read the formal address to himself on the front, his eyes widened; He knew that handwriting. With a quick motion, he tore the envelope open.

It read-

**To Firelord Zuko, in regard to the invitation previously sent:**

**It is with great happiness that I write to inform you that we, the family of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, have received your invitation to the conference that will be held this summer. After much consideration, it has been decided that Sokka of the SOuthern Water Tribe, his wife Suki, and I, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe will travel to the Fire Nation, and attend this conference as the representatives of our people. We humbly thank you for this opportunity and-**

**Here the writing was interrupted by a long streak of ink.**

**Sorry about that, ****it continued,**** Sokka made me stop with the formal letter. He couldn't stop laughing. Anyway, we plan on departing from the South Pole in a little more than a week, so by the time this letter arrives, we should be about 8 days away. I know we'll be there early, but Aang just wrote and said he was going to arrive ahead of schedule too, so we thought it might be nice to have some time together again. The last time we were all together was more than a year ago, at Iroh's expansion of the Jasmine Dragon. Do you remember that horrible tea Aang made? I can't believe your uncle actually drank it! I was just glad he kept Aang away from the tea after that. I think the rest of that pot went into a plant- which died later that week. Make sure you don't let Aang near the kitchens while he's at the palace, I'm pretty sure nothing good would come of it. **

**I hope you're well, and I'm to give my best regards to you from Dad, Gran-gran and Pakku. **

**See you soon, **

**Katara**

Zuko grinned as he finished the letter. So Sokka and Suki and Katara were coming to the conference? Remembering the contents of the letter, Zuko frowned, and looked for the stamp which would indicate the day the letter reached his desk. Squinting, he read it, then read it again.

_Great Flame!_ If that date was correct, they were coming tomorrow!

He stood up quickly, and walked out of his study, snuffing out his lamp with a flick of his wrist as he closed the door.

He walked through the halls once more, looking around for one of the servants assigned with night duty.

He turned the corner to his bedroom's hall, and saw a maid chatting with one of the guards to his bedroom. Recognizing her, he said, "Good evening, Mina" as he drew close to the pair.

Both Mina, and the guard jumped, fleeting guilt and embarrassment crossing their faces.

Mina curtsied quickly.

"Good evening, Firelord. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes. I've just had word that we are to expect three more visitors tomorrow, along with the avatar. I'd appreciate it if you could prepare a suite for a married couple, and another for a single woman."

Mina nodded. "Do you have a preference for the wing they'll be in?"

Zuko thought a moment.

"Aren't the avatar's room in the west wing?"

Mina nodded once more.

"Then put them there. That should suit everyone."

"Yes, Firelord. I'll see to it right away," the maid made as if to walk away, then turned back to Zuko, "Is there anything else you need tonight? I think Cook is still up..."

She trailed off as Zuko shook his head.

"I'm fine, thank you."

Mina curtsied once again, and after sharing a long look with the guard, she walked away, leaving Zuko standing outside his bedroom with the guard.

"So, Lio," Zuko asked, as he opened his ornate doors, pausing a moment to look at the guard, "When are you going to ask that girl out?"

Lio look startled, then embarrassed.

"I- I don't know, your highness."

The guards face was a deep red.

Zuko smirked, "Well, If I were you, I'd do it soon. Mina's a nice girl."

And with that, he shut his door on his guards astonished face.

He allowed himself to smile widely. He never got tired of surprising his staff with his interest in their lives. He supposed that his time in the lower level of Ba-Sing-Se influenced that; He knew what it was like to work for a living. And so, even after he had returned to the palace as Firelord, he insisted on knowing as many of his staff as he could.

Throwing off his heavy, formal over-robe, he walked into his bathroom. The large tub was, as always, filled with clear, cool water. He stripped quickly, then slid into the clear water, wincing a little at the temperature. He ducked under the water once, then gave in. With a deep breath in, he exhaled slowly, and, extending his hands under the water, heated the water to perfection. He nearly hummed in satisfaction. He could feel the heat work at his sore muscles, and strained shoulders, washing the tension away.

He made quick work of washing himself, once he had sat still for as long as he could. It was starting to take longer to wash his hair, which was now past his shoulders, but he found that he liked the longer style, and so put up with it. Finished, he leapt up from the submerged tub, and absentmindedly warmed his skin temperature until the waterdrops fled from his touch as steam. He pulled on a pair of silk sleeping pants, then lowered himself onto his bed. He laid down, forgoing his soft covers; the night was warm, and the breeze whispering in form his large windows was comfortable.

Tomorrow, he thought, drifting off, will be much better than today.


	3. Chapter 3

**aelisabethchilds;**

**And I'm back, another chapter from my digital hands to yours. Enjoy! **

**Post reviews, suggestions, thoughts, anything…hehe. Not like I'm desperate to know what you think. I'm just a lowly fanfic writer, doing my best for the people who love what I love…ZUTARA! **

**(btw. I just spent a **_**ton**_** of time on deviantart, and if you haven't already, check out Pugletz. AHH! So many feels from the art there!)**

She had missed this. She hadn't been to the Fire nation in years, not since the coronation. The sun was caressing her upturned face, and a warm wind was making the sails snap briskly in the morning.

Katara was standing by the railing on the large ship that had carried her from the frigid waters of the South Pole to the clear, almost tropical waves of the Fire Nation. They had set out more than 3 weeks ago, and when she woke every day, she could feel the cold falling behind them.

The trip had been uneventful, and they had made good time. Their captain, a Southern tribesman, predicted that they would arrive at the capitol by midday. The coast they sailed by was dotted by small villages, and the occasional grand estate, usually perched precariously on the edge of the rocky cliffs that delineated where land met sea.

Yesterday, the scenery had comprised of mostly azure waves, then the man in the dovecrow's pit had spotted land, and just before sunset, the ship had set a course parallel to the coast.

Katara spent a good part of the last night on the nearly deserted deck. The moon was waxing, not quite half full. She didn't like to practice her bending when the sailors were working, and prone to gawk, so she bent at night, once the ship had quieted, and the only people who could watch her were the night shift. The shift consisted of only four men so Katara didn't feel uncomfortable; the sailors were busy sailing, and she could bend in peace.

After working for nearly an hour on a new move, she'd allowed herself to relax and watch the dimly lit coast. The "got-your-back" was a particularly difficult trick she had been developing for a few weeks. Sokka had given her the idea, when she dropped in to watch one of his training sessions with Suki. Actually, play session was the better term. Sokka would often volunteer to help Suki with her martial arts classes, and when he came, Suki would use the time to let her students practice. By attacking the combined force of Sokka and Suki.

During that session, a small pack of 8 students had formed a circle around the couple, and Sokka had called out dramatically, "I've got your back, Suki! We can-". His speech had been cut off by a clever girl, who had darted in and swiped Sokka's feet out from under him.

While Sokka's attempt had been unsuccessful, Kattar had got to thinking; When she bent, she often left her back unprotected, focusing on the opponents facing her.

Starting with a large, formless mass, she had begun to manipulate a man-sized bunch of water to stay at her back while she bent during her own practice sessions. It meant that she had to keep one hand engaged with the "Buddy" , as she fondly dubbed him, and the other working on her defense. It had taken days to perfect the divided attention required for the move, but once she had it down, she began to tweak with Buddy. She made him more human looking, forming him from ice and water before deciding an a semi-hard combination of the two. In the past week she had started bending him into being with rough human features.

The easy part was making him, the hard part was bending him into useful actions. She would often sit herself on the deck and bend Buddy into form, then practice one handed defensive and offensive moves for him.

Last night she had memorized the move which allowed Buddy to give out a high, powerful kick.

She rubbed her chest absentmindedly. She had to practice on someone, and that kick packed a punch.

"Katara!" she jumped as Suki called out her name.

Looking around, she spotted her brother's wife poking her head out of the doorway that led below decks. Suki's hair was damp, and her face looked freshly scrubbed.

"You should start getting ready," her friend continued, "We're coming up the old Gate of Azulon, and we'll be there before you know it."

Katara, surprised, looked out to the coast again. There, in the distance, stood two tall structures of rock. She remembered Zuko mentioning that they had been defaced, wiped clean of the old Firelord's likeness. Squinting, she could see that they had been stripped down to bare rock.

She left the railing, and walked to the stairs, dodging a swinging bundle of rope as she did.

"Sorry, miss." Called out the sailor who had tossed the rope.

Katara nodded quickly, and descended into the ship.

Her room was small, but cozy, with a hammock draped with fur-which she hadn't used for the past couple of nights- and another pile of pillows and blankets on the floor, a perfect nest to curl up in and take a nap or read a book. Most of her things had been stowed in the hold, but the trunk she needed was in the corner.

Katara crossed to it, and pulled out a carefully folded dress. Gran-gran had hastily put together a wardrobe for the three of them, and Hakoda had sent them off with a small fortune, to be used to buy more formal attire once they were at the capitol; All of the appropriate clothing she, Sokka and Suki had was too heavy for the fire Nation.

The dress she now held in her hands was linen, a little roughly woven, for it wasn't a fabric that was in high demand in her home. The color, though was lovely. A light blue gray, with simple, elegant embroidery along its hems.

Katara laid it out on the floor, and, snatching up clean underthings, darted across the hallway, into the bathroom. She bent up water, through the special made pipes that had been fitted to the ship, and with a shiver of anticipation, stepped into the small tub at the same time as she bent the water in. She gasped a little at the temperature. Despite the warm weather outside, the water was still cooler than immediately comfortable.

Her bath was efficient with her bending- a few flicks of her wrist took care of her hair, another few for her body-and she was back in her room in a matter of minutes. She slipped into her dress, relishing the light material against her skin.

Katara walked over to the mirror, intent on doing her hair. The dark brown locks fell to the hollow of her back in waves. Gran-gran joked that her hair could never make up its mind whether it wanted to be curly or straight, and so decided to be just wild.

She picked up a handful of pins, and got to work, coaxing her hair into a low, twisted bun at the back of her neck. She'd forgone her hair loops a few years ago, after one too many teasings from Sokka, but today she strung two blue beads into her hair, and let the strands fall back in a similar way, just not as pronounced.

She stepped back to inspect the finished product, and stared. Her mother looked back at her from the mirror, her mouth gaped open a little, as if shocked.

Katara shook her head, watching as her reflection did the same. She'd heard that she looked like her mom, but hearing and seeing that were two very different things.

Maybe it was the combination of the lovely dress, and formal hairstyle. Maybe it was simply that Katara was actually paying attention to her reflection, something she hadn't had time for in- well, in a long time. Either way, she was a little unnerved.

Katara knew she had grown in the past years. Coming home from her adventures with Aang, she'd discovered that she was too tall for all her old clothes. And then, not much later, she'd...filled out...a little more in her chest. Not that she would consider herself busty, but she was no longer a girl-child.

Stepping closer to the mirror, she studied her face. It had lost its youthful roundness when she hadn't noticed, leaving a leaner version in its place. Her eyes remained the same, still the same old blue. She gazed into the mirror for a moment more, then turned away, shrugging.

People got older. She'd seen it with Suki-no longer a teenager but a woman- who'd grown her hair out, and gained curves. Sokka too, had grown up. He was as tall as her father, and filled out like him as well. When Dad and her brother stood side by side, Katara thought they looked like brothers, separated by many years, but brothers all the same.

She considered going back onto the deck, but decided against it. Instead, she settled down in her nest of cushions, and picked up the book she was reading.

Leaning back, she lost herself in a different world, where bending was unheard of, where the strength of a person came from their heart, and where love was always sweet and kind.

Sometimes she wished she could disappear into these pages.

./././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././.

"Watch out!"

"Oi! You! Grab this!"

"USE YOUR HANDS, YOU FOOL, NOT YOUR HEAD!"

"This is entertaining," quipped a dry voice from Zuko's left.

Zuko glanced at one of his trusted advisors, a small, middle aged man named Mashi, and after raising his eyebrow, looked back at the spectacle that was the water tribe ship docking. Sailors were throwing mooring lines to men on the wharf, while the ship's deck was swarming with men, carrying trunks, and baskets, and tending to the sails and rigging.

Standing in the shade of the greeting tent, he didn't have the best view of the people aboard. Squinting into the tangle of bodies, he tried to see familiar faces. He had no luck.

He spared a glance at the greeting party behind him. Since they were arriving ahead of schedule, there was no bevy of nobles and other guests to greet the Water Tribe representatives. Instead, Zuko had brought down three of his closest advisors, and a handful of servants. Everyone stood at attention, their eyes fixed on the ship. Waiting for his guests to come ashore.

There! With a flurry of activity, the gangplank was lowered onto the dock. Zuko felt his stomach clench tightly. His brow lowered in thought. That was strange. Why-_he was nervous_! The realization hit him, leaving a cloud of confusion in his mind. Why, of all days, would he be nervous now? Sure, he hadn't seen Sokka, Suki or Katara in more than a year, but he _knew_ them. They weren't puffed up political prigs who needed to be handled with a delicate touch.

Mashi gave him a sudden jab, aiming for the Firelord's ribs, but-due to his short stature- landing a blow on the side of Zuko's stomach.

"Smile," the man said as Zuko winced, "Your friends are here."

And they were. Following a steady stream of men unloading boxes, trunks and bags, Zuko saw Sokka make his way down the steep gangplank, followed closely by Suki, with Katara behind, steadying herself with her hands out as she descended.

They wove through the workers on the wharf, and made their way to the tent, unmistakable with its steep pitch, deep red color and fire nation flag fluttering in the wind.

Sokka and Suki stepped forward first.

Zuko quelled a smile as Sokka butchered his bow, hands held in the wrong position-they signaled that Sokka thought Zuko was a prig...so maybe it was on purpose- and knees bent awkwardly. Suki's curtsey was elegant; She spread her skirts wide, and inclined her head.

"Greetings, Master Sokka, and Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors," Zuko said, letting his voice ring out in the tent, "Welcome to the Fire Nation. We are glad you have arrived in our beloved land."

Here, he bowed slightly, hiding a small grimace of distaste for the formal words.

Straightening, he was attacked, his balance thrown, and Zuko was forced to take a hurried step back. Sokka had caught him up in a backbreaking hug. Zuko held still, then relaxed slightly, allowing his arms to reach up around Sokka's broad shoulders. _By the sun, _he thought, _He's sure grown._

Sokka clapped him twice on the back and, releasing the now slightly ruffled Firelord, grinned at him. Zuko noted that Sokka, while having gotten taller, was still not his height.

"Good to see you Zuko," the water tribesman said, his voice lower than Zuko remembered, "It's nice to have arrived."

Suki stepped forward, and clasped his hand, saying, "It _is_ good to see you." in her mellow voice. Zuko nodded, and gave her a small smile.

He briefly introduced the couple to Mashi, then turned back to his other guest.

"Hello, Zuko."

Katara bowed in perfect form, signaling a level of respect and friendship to a noble person with her hands.

Zuko used his returning bow to let his surprise run wild. She looked...different. She looked-but then he had to straighten and face her.

"Welcome, Master Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. We are honored with your presence, and hope you will-"

Mirroring her brother, Katara cut him off with a hug. It wasn't as forceful as Sokka's, but it did take the breath out of him.

Zuko looked down at Katara, and smiled.

"You're looking well," He said, then instantly berated himself. _Well?! _What an insipid word. She looked much more than well.

"So do you," she answered meeting his gaze, "A little more regal than the last time I saw you. Would you prefer me to call you 'Your Highness' now?"

Zuko's brows drew together, confused. He had never asked-

"I'm joking," Katara groaned, shoving him lightly on the arm.

A quiet cough drew Zuko's attention away from the waterbender and to Mashi, who was standing patiently by his side.

"My lord, would you introduce me?" The small man asked, smiling a Katara.

"Katara," Zuko said, turning back to her, "This is Lord Mashi, one of my advisors."

Mashi bowed over Katara's extended hand, and placed a quick kiss on it.

"I'm the one the Firelord blames if anything goes wrong in the nation." Mashi said as he continued to hold Katara's hand. "It's a trying job, but well worth it when I get to meet beautiful young ladies, such as yourself."

Katara blushed a little, and bowed to the man, whose eyes were level to her own.

"Enough, Mashi," Zuko said, grasping Katara's arm, and leading her to the other two advisors he had brought with him, "You're too old for that."

Zuko heard him scoff under his breath as Katara was introduced to the advisors.

Suki and Sokka were waiting by the back of the tent, watching their belongings get loaded onto the wagons that would carry them up to the palace.

Zuko heard Sokka say "But I'm hungry, Suki. And I can smell fire flakes. There must be food somewhere."

At least that hadn't changed. He glanced down to see Katara rolling her eyes.

"If you're ready, we can head to the palace," Zuko motioned at the compact carriages, saddled to ostrich-horses, which were waiting for them, "Small fest had been prepared in your honor."

Zuko had never seen a man get into a carriage as quickly as Sokka did upon hearing the word "feast". Suki followed him after giving an exasperated look to Katara.

"Shall we?" He asked, motioning her towards the second carriage. "These only fit two, otherwise the ostrich-horses would be overwhelmed."

Katara nodded. He offered his hand for her to use to enter, then wanted to smack his forehead as she smirked down at it, and hopped into the open carriage.

Katara wasn't a pampered fire nation lady, she knew how to get into a carriage. Zuko leapt up easily, habitually maneuvering around his long, traditional robes. The first couple of times he had tried to walk up and down stairs in the blasted things he had tripped and stumbled. Now, he could probably run a race and win in the heavy material, he had grown so accustomed to it.

The ostrich-horse set off with a small lurch, and Zuko settled into his backwards facing seat, across from Katara.

The young woman was staring at the passing scenery as they starting climbing up towards the palace. Zuko studied her as she did.

She'd changed, in the time since they'd last met. Her face looked different, cheekbones and jaw more pronounced, her lips with a serious set. Her dress was almost absurdly simple when compared to his attire, yet it suited her, drawing attention to her slender form. She had lost weight.

Zuko frowned as he noticed this. Katara had never been one to carry extra fat, not even after the war had ended and peace had set in. She looked a little underfed, he decided, noticing her collarbones, which seemed a little too prominent, and her wrists, which seemed a little too bony. Was she ill?

Katara turned to look at Zuko and smiled, not noticing his expression of concentration.

"It looks lovely," she made a wide, sweeping motion out towards the lush, green fields that surrounded the fire nation capital, "I see you've made a lot of progress."

She smiled again, and Zuko couldn't remember why he had been worried a second ago. Her face lit up when she smiled.

He mentally shook his head.

"Yes. We relocated the colonists from the Earth Kingdom, and gave them the land around the volcano. It's proven to be especially fertile."

Katara nodded, "I like what they've done with the steps."

Steps? Zuko looked around, then chuckled.

"You mean the terrace farms?"

"Oh. Yeah, those."

He shrugged, "They do kind of look like steps. They allow the farmer to work on level ground, and use as much of the land as possible. And" he added softly, "I like the way they hide the volcano. It makes this place seem-"

"Peaceful." She finished.

Zuko nodded.

Katara went back to watching the landscape and Zuko did too. He enjoyed seeing how peace had affected his nation. The land looked better, healthier, and the people did as well. A few farmers waved to their carriages as they passed, and Katara waved back, smiling.

The long ride to the palace seemed incredibly short, and before he knew it they had ridden through the wide streets of the capitol, and entered the gates to the palace.

Katara gave a small, gasp interrupting Zuko's thoughts. He'd been wondering when Aang would arrive, and if Appa would need more space than the barn they had already designated for the flying bison.

"It's different!" She exclaimed, glancing about the front courtyard.

Zuko looked around as well, trying to see it from her eyes. He had watched the entire process throughout time, so the sight of the gardened courtyard no longer surprised him. But, he reasoned, to Katara who hasn't been here since the end of the war it must seem drastically changed.

"We didn't need all that space for soldiers anymore." He stated, "I wanted to put the area to use. It's open to the public three days a week."

That had been his idea, to let the people in. Once in awhile, he'd take a break from running his nation, throw on civilian clothing, and stroll along the green paths, greeting whoever he passed casually. He loved to see the expressions of those who recognized him, and was delighted when they didn't.

The driver drove alongside the large wall, following the small road until they came to what Zuko affectionately called "the side door". It was less intimidating than the main entrance, and led more directly to the west wing, where his guests were staying.

After they had stopped, Zuko stepped down first, the offered his hand to Katara, who, after raising her eyebrows at Zuko, accepted it, and let him help her down.

Her cool hand seemed small in his.

"That took forever!" Sokka called out, jumping down from his carriage. He turned around, and grabbing Suki by her waist, swung her off, and twirled her about until she laughed.

"You were thinking about food the entire time." She reprimanded, "Now put me down. What will the Firelord think?"

Zuko, a little unsure of how to respond to the spontaneous, affectionate display he had just seen, shrugged and said, "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

He walked towards the doors, great, tall wooden slabs engraved with dragons and lillies. Katara walked alongside him, and Sokka and Suki behind.

It only took about seven minutes to get to their rooms, by which time Sokka had asked about dinner five times. The last three had each earned him a jab from Suki. Sokka never learned.

"This is your room," Zuko said, opening the large door for Suki and Sokka, and enjoying their slightly awed faces as they took in the extravagant guest suite, "Dinner is an hour before sunset, and a servant will be waiting to show you the way."

"Thanks, Zuko!" Sokka called out as the firelord left the room. He was shutting the door behind him when he heard Sokka murmur, "An hour before sunrise? That's a long time from now." and Suki reply, "What should we do with all that time, my strong warrior?"

Suki let out a happy shriek as Zuko firmly closed the door.

And turned to face Katara.

He felt his cheeks heat up. Had she heard-

"Don't worry," Katara said, as Zuko led her down the hall, "They were much worse a few months ago. I couldn't handle being in the same room as them. All Suki ever did was giggle, and Sokka would whisper to her, a little too loudly."

She grimaced.

He chose not to comment.

They came to her door, another grand affair of wood and metal and sculpture.

"This is your room." He stated. He didn't open the door.

Katara stopped next to him and stared at the wood a moment before turning to face him. Zuko looked down at her.

"Thanks for showing me to my room, Zuko," she said, smiling a little, "I'm really glad to be here."

What was he supposed to say to that?

"I'm, uh, glad you're here too."

"You know," she continued, "I almost didn't recognize you at first."

Zuko cocked his head to the side.

"You look different from last year, in Ba-Sing-Se. You're hair maybe, or it could be that you've grown."

"Well, you haven't" he retorted, "You're still a shorty."

Katara flicked him in the chest, and rather than leaving a flicker of pain, the spot where she touched him flared with warmth.

"I'll have you know that I've grown more than a half an inch in the past year, Firelord."

"I don't know," He said, examining her from head to toe, "You look pretty much the-wait a second."

Zuko interrupted himself. There _was_ something different about her. It wasn't that she had bodily changed, it was what she was wearing. Her-

"Your necklace."

Katara's hand flew up to the ribbon around her neck. It wasn't the familiar blue piece he knew-he had stolen before. It was a white ribbon, with a dark, shimmering gray circle pendant.

"What happened to your necklace?" He asked, his voice a little rougher thanhe would have liked.

"Oh." Katara looked flustered, and a bit of color rushed into her cheeks. "My mother's necklace is an heirloom, passed down through the woman in my family. Girls wear it until they become engaged themselves."

Zuko all emotion leave his face. That meant-

"I didn't realize you didn't know, Zuko. I'm so sorry, I thought I had sent a letter off. I guess it must have gotten lost in all the planning I've been doing."

Katara smiled slightly, and placed a hand on Zuko's arm.

"I'm getting married."


	4. Chapter 4

**aelisabethchilds: **

**Another week, another chapter! Actually, I'm planning on staying up into the wee hours and finishing another one, sooo… We'll see. I hope you enjoy, and that y'all will leave reviews. **

**(Iroh voice) "A good review is like a good cup of tea; it has the ability to soothe all sores and make the sun shine brighter."**

***sigh **

**Maybe I shouldn't try Iroh analogies…**

Zuko was scaring her a little.

Katara watched the Firelord closely. She hadn't thought he'd mind getting the news late, but if his face was anything to go by, he minded. His expression was-well, she wasn't sure what his expression was, but it didn't look pleased.

She decided that now was the time to go into her room.

"I'll just go in now." She said, turning on her heel, and pushing the door open.

"Right," looking back, it seemed to her that Zuko looked as if someone had shoved a snowball down his trousers, "I'll see you at dinner then."

Katara nodded, and crossed the entryway into her room.

"Katara?"

She glanced back to see Zuko standing in the hall, hands held by his sides.

"Congratulations."

She nodded, and watched as he turned and walked away.

She began to shut the door when a horribly familiar feeling throbbed at her throat.

_NO! _She shrieked in her head, as she felt her airway start to constrict, _Not here, not now. PLEASE, NO!_

But her inward pleadings had no effect, and she stumbled little black spots appearing in her vision. Her right hand grasped at her throat, clawing at the invisible force that was choking her, while her left blindly reached out for something, anything to help her.

It collided with something large, and as she struggled to remain standing, the large painted vase fell from its stand and crashed to the floor.

She dimly heard the noise as she sank to her knees-knees that couldn't hold her up anymore. The black dots were consuming her sight, her lungs were on fire, she needed air, why did he have-

It stopped, and with a gasp, Katara drew air into her chest, relishing its sweet sweep into her lungs.

Suddenly, her door burst open.

Zuko strode in, and paused, taking in the scene.

Katara realized how strange she must look.

She gazed up at him from her knees, and he gazed right back. She had no idea what he was thinking, and she fiercely prayed her face showed just as much emotion as his.

Zuko extended his hand down to her, and, hand trembling only so slightly, Katara let herself be pulled to her feet.

"We have servants for that," he said, and Katara could only stare at him. What did he mean by that?

"I'll call someone in right now, and have this cleared away. You don't have to worry about it."

With a start, she realized that he was talking about shattered vase. And she had been kneeling on the floor when he came in, like she was about to clean it up.

"Thank you." She said quietly, bending her neck slightly, hiding her face.

"It's not a problem," he answered. He probably thinks I'm terribly clumsy, she thought to herself.

"See you at dinner."

And with that, the Firelord swept out of the room.

Katara stood there, stunned. Of all times...why now? It hadn't happened on the ship.

She knew she couldn't fathom _his_ reasons, so Katara turned to inspect her room, refusing to let _him_ control more of her life than he already did.

_Too big_, was her first thought as she studied her room. Then, _how much did this cost?!_

Her room was huge, with ceilings that seemed appropriate for giant badgermoles, not humans. The bed, too, was large enough for one of the enormous underground dwellers. How was she supposed to sleep in that? She'd be strangled by the covers!

Katara walked into the well lit room, admiring the subtle gold leaf that lined the trim on the floor and ceiling. If this room was for the guests, then what must Zuko's room be like?

A tall doorway opened up onto a modest balcony, and Katara took a moment to look out below and beyond her. Her rooms faced the ocean, and they high enough that she could view the distant ships along the horizon. The breeze was warm, and she could taste the salt on it.

With a sigh, she left the stunning view, and went back to exploring her rooms. There was a small sunny room with cushions and a low table for tea, another smaller room with shelves of books lining the walls, and if the large cushion and multiple candles were any indication, even a niche for meditation.

When she got to the bathroom she shrieked.

The tub was HUGE!

Ignoring all common sense, she pulled her dress off, and dashed over to the sunken pool. There were knobs at one end, labeled "hot" and "cold". Curious, she turned the cold one. She shrieked again.

The knob was waterbending! Cold water was gushing from a large pipe centered between the two knobs. She twisted the cold knob again. The water stopped. She reached over to the hot knob, and twisted that one. Steam rose from the tub floor as hot water rushed in. A smile danced on her lips.

This was better than penguin-sledding.

Katara took off her slip, and leaving her underthings on, slid down the polished stone side of the tub. There, she turned both knobs until she found the perfect temperature, and after finding a wooden stopper for the drain, she lounged in the tub as it filled. Containers of sweet smelling shampoos and lotions lined one side of the pool, and Katara tried a little bit of everything. She smelled better than a garden in full bloom. Once she had tired with the smelly potions, she started bending. She made waves crash from end to end of the tub, but never leap out past its boundary. She made a geyser and lifted herself into the air, high enough to touch the ceiling. Buddy made a brief appearance, but then Katara decided that it wasn't proper for a man to watch a woman bathe. So Buddy was dissolved.

She finally let herself just float, creating littles eddies and currents with her hands, enjoying the hot water and large tub.

"Ahem."

Her restful soak was interrupted by the quiet cough. Katara jerked her head up, and saw a woman standing by the doorway into the tub room.

"Lady Katara?"

Katara swam over to the edge of the tub, and pushed herself out.

"That's me." she said, bending the water off her body and underclothes.

"I am Mina," said the woman, who with a closer look turned out to be a young woman, maybe a little older than Katara, "I have been assigned to be your personal servant while you are a guest here."

Katara froze. A servant? Those were for great ladies, and the wealthy. Surely she didn't need-

"I'll start unpacking your clothes, my lady."

With that, the woman, turned and walked into the main bedroom. Katara trailed behind her, unsure of what to do.

Her trunks had been delivered, and her face heated as she realized that whoever had brought them to her room had probably heard her playing in the tub.

Katara, realizing that she was still in her underthings, started to reach for the dress she had been wearing when she discovered it wasn't there. Instead, it was draped on Mina's arm, along with her precious few formal gowns.

As if she had read her mind, Mina held out a robe. Katara slipped it on gratefully, reveling in the smooth glide of the silk across her skin. She tied the sash, and looked up to see Mina pulling clothes out of a trunk.

The servant brought her clothes over to a wardrobe that Katara hadn't noticed before- perhaps because it looked like another doorway- and hung them up before she could utter a word.

Not knowing what else to do, Katara reached into another trunk and began to unpack as well.

"Oh no, Lady!" Mina exclaimed as she saw Katara bring over a bundle of breast bands, "This is my duty, not yours."

"But I'd like to help-

"My chould take a nap," the girl suggested demurely, "For dinner is still hours away, and the lady has traveled far."

She _was_ tired, and despite its size, the bed did look comfortable.

"I think I will," she answered, making her way past the open trunks, and toward the bed. _Whites waves_! she thought as she climbed onto it, _it's so soft!_ She crawled into the middle of the bed, but before curling up as she longed to do, she looked back to Mina.

"Mina?" She called softly. The girl turned to her.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Please just call me Katara."

Mina looked surprised, and a little horrified, but Katara held her eyes. The servant gulped, and nodded.

"Yes...Katara."

The waterbender smiled as she drifted off. At least she could control some things.

She was jerked awake by someone calling her name. She flailed in the bed for a moment, unsure of where she was.

"Katara?" Suki called again, her head peeking through the door.

Fire Nation. Palace. Zuko.

Oh.

Katara sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice a little rumbly from sleep.

"Sorry I woke you," the older girl said, stepping into the room, "Wow. Your rooms just as large as ours." Suki gawked at the room, until Katara cleared her throat, bringing her guest back to business.

"Yeah, sorry to get you up, but I thought you'd like to know that Aang is here. He flew in with-"

Katara jumped from the bed.

"Aang is here?"

She ran around the room, desperately looking for her abandoned dress, then remembered Mina had put it in the wardrobe.

She raced to the wardrobe. Threw on the dress. Grabbed a pair of slippers.

She dragged Suki out of the room, trying to retrace her previous journey from the entrance.

"Where is he?" She demanded, pulling her brother's wife with her down the hall.

"Katara!" Suki laughed. "Hold up a moment. He's putting Appa in his barn. I'm sure he'll be coming this way anytime now, just hold-"

Katara rounded a corner and- WHAM!

With a yelp, she tumbled back, away from the sudden barrier in her path.

"Katara!"

She knew that voice. She lifted her blue eyes to meet a pair of gray ones.

Aang stood in front of her, looking travel worn, and slightly taken aback-maybe from their sudden crash. But his surprise lasted only a moment, and before she knew it, Katara was swept into a hug, her feet dangling uselessly in the air as the tall airbender squeezed the air out of her.

"Aang," she gasped, her lungs compressed, "You're here."

Aang set her down, and grinned widely.

"Yes, I'm here. I thought I'd beat you to it, too."

"We just arrived," Katara said, allowing herself to step back and examine her friend, "The ship docked a few hours ago."

Aang looked good despite the light layer of dust, and disheveled clothing. She couldn't remember when it had happened, but sometime between visits to Ba-Sing-Se, and the South Pole, and traveling throughout the nations, Aang had grown up. The short boy, all knees and elbows, had grown into a tall sturdy man. And was that the shadow of a _beard_ on his jaw?

Aang seemed to be giving Katara the same examination.

"You're looking good," he stated, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, "Still short though." He had to bend down to accomplish the task.

"I'm not short," Katara defended herself against the familiar opinion, "Everyone else has just grown unnaturally tall."

"Ahem."

With a start, Katara remembered that she and Aang weren't alone on the hallway.

"Suki!" Aang exclaimed, as he dropped his arm and leaned over to give the woman a hug.

"What?" Suki asked as he let go, "Aren't you going to compliment me on my looks too?"

Aang chuckled, and with a flourishing bow, he said "Suki, of the Kyoshi warriors and the Southern Water Tribe, may I say that you look as lovely as a vase of plum blossoms in spring."

Both Katara and Suki burst into laughter as Aang looked up from his ridiculous pose with a loopy grin plastered across his face.

"I don't know, Twinkletoes," said a familiar voice as they quieted, "I think she looks more like that dancing platypus-bear we saw that time in Omashu."

Suki's smile dropped as she turned to face Toph.

"Toph," she began, then stopped. Her temporary hurt fled and her face broke out into another smile.

"Nice" She continued, walking over to the blind girl, "I thought I was impervious to that. Guess not."

Toph evaded the hug Suki had intended to give her, and instead gave the woman a playful punch in the shoulder. Suki grimaced, and said "Good to see you, Toph."

"Hi, Toph," Katara added, coming over to her, but staying out of the punching zone, "How was the flight?"

"Miserable," the girl stated, stamping her feet on the ground for added emphasis, "I hate flying." The ground trembled just a little.

Aang ambled over, and Katara's eyebrows shot up as he draped an arm around Toph's shoulders.

"But flying is so much faster," he said, leaning onto the small earthbender, "And this way we don't have to sail."

Toph grumbled in consensus, but didn't throw Aang's arm off her, or even complain.

_Hmm,_ Katara thought, eyeing the two, noting Toph's faint blush, _I wonder when _that_ happened?_

A door opened down the hall, and a wolf-tailed head stuck itself out.

"Hey!" Sokka shouted, bursting out of the doors, "You guys are here!"

Skidding over to the two newcomers, and ignoring Toph's protest, Sokka gave them an all encompassing hug.

Releasing them, Sokka starting asking about their flight, where they stopped, how the winds were, how long it had taken them, etc.

Katara glanced over to see Suki roll her eyes at Sokka's unending questions, and the waterbender sidled over to her sister-in-law.

"I think we should mention dinner," Suki said in an undertone as Aang was demonstrating something with his hands to a fascinated Sokka, "It's about sunset."

Looking around the hall, she spotted a high window letting in muted sunlight. Katara nodded, but just as she was about to interrupt, a soft cough drew her attention away from the loud group in front of her.

Mina was standing behind her, and after bowing at Katara, she raised her voice politely and said "Excuse me, noble guests, I'm to bring you to dinner."

Her announcement caught the attention of everyone, and when the servant turned and walked down the hall, the group of five friends and family followed her, chatting merrily.


	5. Chapter 5

**aelisabethchilds:**

**Whoohoo! Another chapter, done. **

**I've been having so much fun writing this out:) It's been an idea I've ruminated over for ****years**** but never acted on. It's exciting to see it get down on paper, and up on the web…hehe. **

**Thanks for your reviews. I'll admit. I read a couple nice ones, and I danced around my dorm room. **

**No shame. **

**Enjoy!**

Zuko couldn't remember the last time he had hosted such an...interesting dinner. The fiasco with King Kuei and Bosco was the second, followed closely by his Uncle's last birthday, but this dinner was definitely first for overall confusion, noise and laughter.

He had been pacing slowly in the family dining room- which was still bigger than his bedroom, despite its supposed "intimateness"- when he heard a commotion from the door. Mina had stepped in, opened her mouth to announce his friends, and then she was pushed to the side by Toph, who had said, "We don't need introductions, honey. Sparky's become too uptight if he thinks we need to be announced."

And with that, they descended.

"_What the hell have you been eating, your fireyness? Where did these muscles come from?"_

"_Zuko! How're you? I'm supposed to give you a hug from Iroh. He misses you, and says to make sure you're meditating every morning."_

"_Toph! We haven't all sat down yet! Can't you wait half a second?"_

"_Look Suki. I've achieved it, world peas!"_

"_Are these...sea prunes?"_

"_I've been pushing for a fairer justice system, and better representation of the people but my-"_

"_Shut up and eat something, Sparky. We'll be getting plenty of politics soon enough."_

"_And then, they attacked! Have you ever been charged by eight half grown warrior wannabe's? Have you?!" _

"_I've been traveling a lot lately, but it's been mostly successful. I'm pretty sure that the airbender ability doesn't always show itself every generation. With the last girl we found, her parents said that there had been stories about her great grandmother, but none of her descendants had shown any bending, until little Feni."_

"_So how many are in Ba-Sing-Se right now?"_

"_About 20. I'm thinking of moving out of the city, and building a school."_

"_There's more? I don't know if I could eat anything els- wait, is that cake?"_

"_Toph, would you stop metalbending my fork?"_

After dinner, they had eased their ways out of the dining room, and moved down the hall to another small chamber. This one was equipped with floor cushions and a large, low tea table.

Looking around the room, Zuko smiled to himself. It was nice to be together again.

Sokka and Suki were leaning on each other. Suki nursed a small cup of tea, and Sokka was munching on a few fire flakes. Aang was reclining on three pillows and throwing berries up into the air for Momo to catch-when had the lemur-monkey joined them? Toph was rambling on about the last Earth Rumble match she had won, while Zuko nodded distractedly and pretended he was listening. And Katara was sitting quietly to his left, studying her tea, which she was freezing and unfreezing, seemingly unconsciously.

"If you don't want to hear about my new move, Zuko, just say something."

Zuko glanced back at the eartbeder to find her glaring in his general direction.

"I was just thinking," He said softly, noting that Katara had looked back up from her now iced over tea, "That it's nice that we're all here. You know, together."

Aang laughed at him from his cushions, "Careful Zuko. You're starting to sound like Iroh. Last time I went to the Jasmine Dragon, he almost teared up and started reminiscing about the good old days, when he chased me around the world with you in tow."

"He was probably just surprised at how much you've grown," Suki put in, "and I know how he feels. Every time I see you, I swear you've grown another inch."

The avatar stretched out slowly on his cushions, extending his arms and legs out as far as possible, taking up a fair amount of space and grinning widely as he did.

"Some of us," He said as he returned to his previous recline, "Are still growing. Isn't that right, Katara-Hey!"

He was cut off by a sudden rain of iced tea droplets, pelting him from above.

Zuko saw Katara smirk, then say "That's the second time you've mentioned my height in one evening. I don't know why it fascinates you so much."

"Maybe," said Sokka, "it's because you were taller than him for the first two years you knew each other. I mean, you were taller than me for a little while growing up, and trust me, I had to live with that shame for months. It's not easy."

"Well, I think height doesn't matter, You all look the same to me." Toph stated, sipping her tea serenely.

"Nice try, kid." Zuko said, giving her a gentle shove on the shoulder. The tea sloshed a little, but didn't spill.

Toph shrugged.

"I try."

Suki leaned over to Sokka, and with a grin, whispered something in his ear.

"Hey, Katara?" Sokka asked, looking over to his sister, "Suki has a theory. She thinks you've got a thing for guys who are taller than you. How tall would you say Lakkin is?"

Katara went stiff, and glared at her brother.

He continued, guffawing a little "But that wouldn't really make sense, because almost every guy you know is taller than you."

"Who's Lakkin?'

It was out of his mouth before he knew he had asked it.

_Stupid._

The occupants of the room stared at Zuko, although Toph's aim was off; She was looking past his shoulder.

Katara cleared her throat.

"He's my fiancé."

"Oh, yeah."

_Stupid. She already mentioned that. You should have made that connection._

"He's the son of the chief of the Western Tribe. We met when he was sent with a group of emissaries who introduced themselves to our tribe."

That made sense.

The Western Tribe hadn't always been a water tribe. It was made of a handful of islands that were home to escaped waterbenders and fugitives of the past Firelords. Over the course of the century long war, it had grown, hiding in the western waters of the Fire Nation.

At the end of the war, and with the crowning of a new Firelord, they had emerged. Sending groups of ambassadors to the nations, they declared themselves a new, independent faction of the Water Tribes, and only requested that they be allowed to continue living on their islands, and living in their ways.

Zuko remembered meeting the Western Tribesmen for the first time, and having to damper his anger. The men he met exuded a faint hint of arrogance, as if they had survived the war not by being cowards but by their intelligence, and Zuko had to control his urge to dismiss them all. Once he had tamed his temper, he allowed himself to see the benefits of having this Tribe situated next to his nation; it demonstrated his willingness as the new Firelord to live in peace with all the nations, even ones he personally thought were cowardly.

Katara was still speaking.

"And that's ridiculous, Sokka. I don't base my feelings for people on their height. I'm marrying Lakkin because-"

Zuko waited for a declaration of love. He knew Katara was never one to shy away from telling others how she felt. He braced himself for an onslaught of emotions.

It never came.

Katara had stopped, and after realizing that everyone was looking at her expectantly, she huffed out "Oh! I don't have to explain this to you all. You guys look like you've never heard of two people getting married before."

"Hey!" Sokka interjected, "What are Suki and I? Siblings?"

"Yuck. If you're heart sped up for Katara the way it does for Suki..." Toph made a disgusted face, contorting her otherwise lovely features.

Aang chuckled, and continued throwing Momo berries.

"So," Zuko said to Katara, "When did you get engaged?"

Sokka groaned, muttered something that sounded like "here we go again" and turning to Suki, began talking about making a trip to see Master Piando.

"Last year. We've known each other for more than three years though."

"Did he travel to the Southern Water tribe often."

Katara shook her head, "No."

"Then how did you get to know him?"

"Lakkin actually lived in the South Pole until last year. Bentin, his father, wanted to demonstrate his willingness to get along with the Water Tribes. So he sent his son to be an ambassador to our people"

At this Katara frowned a little, "Although, I still think that they could have shown their 'willingness to get along' by helping us in the past 100 years."

So that bugged her as well? Zuko felt a small surge of relief that he wasn't the only one who didn't like the Western Tribes actions- or lack thereof- during the war.

"Was it-" He hesitated to go on. He knew that many marriages in the Water Tribes were arranged, a practice that had all but died out in the Fire Nation. And Katara hadn't actually said anything about how she felt for her fiancé... "Was it an arranged engagement?"

Surprise flickered across Katara's face, her eyes widening.

_I guess not_, he thought to himself.

Katara laughed shortly, "It wasn't arranged. Lakkin asked, and I accepted. It was my choice."

Zuko nodded, trying to decipher the look that lingered on her face. It reminded him of something.

But, before he could decide on what he had seen on her face, Katara stood up.

"I'm going to turn in for the night," she stated, brushing of her dress, "I'll see you all in the morning."

Zuko watched as she navigated her way out of the room amidst a chorus of "Goodnight, Katara." "Sleep well, Sweetness, don't let the fireflies bite." and "'Night, Sis."

She paused to give Suki a kiss on the cheek, then slipped out the door.

Conversation started up again, and Zuko listened to Aang's descriptions of his new airbender students halfheartedly, all the while wondering why the room suddenly felt much colder.

./././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././.

The heat was smothering her.

Katara tossed about in her enormous bed, struggling with the suffocating mass of silken sheets. She'd gone to bed almost three hours ago, but sleep wouldn't come.

She _was_ tired, but the more she longed for sleep, the more elusive it became.

With a groan, she sat up. If she couldn't get some rest she might as well do something with her time, instead of flopping around her monstrosity of a bed.

She threw back the sheets, slid off the mattress, and walked towards the door, pausing a moment to slip a loose linen dress over her nightgown.

The hallway was just as oppressive, and Katara walked quickly down the dimly lit halls. She didn't see anyone. She made turn after turn, looking for a window, a courtyard, anything that would get her out of the heat. Her skin felt prickly, and she longed for a whiff of fresh air.

She stopped walking suddenly, and smacked her forehead.

She had a window in her room! She had stood out on the balcony just that afternoon. _Why hadn't that helped_...then Katara remembered that when she had come back to her rooms earlier that evening, they had been prepared for the night. Someone, probably Mina, had pulled the sheets back on the bed, lit a few candles, and-as Katara now realized- pulled heavy velvet curtains over the windows and door to the balcony. She could head back to her rooms, and open them back up.

She turned, intent on returning the way she came. But- _How did I get here?_

Her walk through the halls had been swift, and she hadn't been paying attention to her path but focusing on her misery.

_Brilliant, Katara,_ she thought bitterly, looking around, _How are you supposed to get back?_

She traced her steps back to another hallway, where she stood at a loss. For the life of her, she couldn't remember which way she had come from.

_Left? Right?_

She turned left, praying that it was the right way.

10 minutes later, she was utterly lost. The hallways all looked the same, lit by a few torches, and graced by a few huge doors, all of which were shut.

Katara was contemplating whether or not she should just scream, and wait for someone to come running when she felt a whisper of fresh air. Following the faint scent of open sky, she made another turn, and found herself in another hall. This one, however, was different. On one side, it was identical to the other hallways she had passed through, with two large doors along the left wall. The right wall, however, was open to the night, and, to Katara's delight, a garden.

She ignored the wide doorway that was halfway down the hall, and instead, lept over the low wall, and through the open window, landing on soft grass.

The garden was actually a small courtyard, but there was no stone ground to be seen. Instead, a carpet of grass tickled against Katara's bare feet as she stepped into the dark garden.

The moon lent enough light for her to see carefully tended flowers, trees and bushes. A night-lark cried out softly from somewhere in the plants, making her jump.

Exploring the space further, Katara came to a small pond, nestled close to a large, bent willow. The water had no current, but still gurgled softly, as if happy to see her.

She sank to the grass, folded her knees beneath her, and closing her eyes, she relished the soft breeze on her skin, the scent of growing things, and the sound of water.

She didn't know how long she sat there, relaxing in the night. At some point, she unfolded her legs, and laid down against the willow, which despite a few lumps, was rather comfortable.

She had, Katara realized, become quite sick of being surrounded by people all the time. Ever since her engagement, she had hardly had a moment to herself, and then once it was decided that the Joining of the Water Tribes was to be held in the South Pole, she had been helping with that too.

Maybe she was being selfish, but she sometimes she longed for her childhood. For days filled with nothing but Gran-gran's stories and exploring with Sokka. Everything had changed so quickly! If she thought back to it, she could recall the exact color of her favourite childhood blanket or the smell of the first thaw she remembered.

And know her time was monopolized by her familial obligations, plans for her wedding, and, now, this upcoming conference. With a sigh, Katara knew she _was _being selfish. Her family, her tribe needed her. But...

Katara couldn't remember the last time she had gone to bed without worries on her mind, or the last time she had danced.

She hadn't seen grass in a year, and to be laying on it felt like a luxury that even the Firelord couldn't afford. Sliding down into the slightly damp tangle of grass, she turned her cheek to the ground and breathed in the heady scent of dirt and wet and life.

It was intoxicating.

She opened her eyes slightly, and stared up at the sky through the wispy branches of the willow. The stars stayed their courses, and the half-full moon glowed softly. If she squinted at it she could make out the-

A shadow blocked her view of the moon, and she blinked.

"Katara?"

She bolted into a sitting position.

"Zuko?"

The shadow materialized into the firebender, but with only the faint light from the skies, she couldn't make out his face.

"Why are you here?" He asked, his voice sounding deeper than it had at dinner.

_Maybe it's the dark_, Katara thought with a shiver as Zuko sat himself down next to her.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered, "And then I went for a walk, and got lost and ended up here."

A thought struck her, and she asked, horrified, "Is this a private garden? Am I not supposed to come here? Zuko, I didn't mean-"

"No, you fine," he said firmly, cutting her off, "It's just that this garden is pretty far away from the west wing, where your rooms are. You must have walked a long way."

"I think so. I was just so hot in my rooms, and I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd find some fresh air."

She waited for him to say something, but a silence set in. It was uncomfortable for a few moments, but then Katara relaxed. This was Zuko. One thing she was sure of was that he didn't feel the need to create empty conversation. If he didn't want her here, he would have said something.

They sat side by side in the dark, and Katara looked back up at the sky, watching the stars swim in the sea of dark.

She blinked once. The stars stopped moving. Maybe she was more tired than she had thought. The dew had fallen while she had sat, and Katara shivered.

"Are you cold?" Zuko broke the silence.

Katara shrugged, "A little, but I think I better-"

A swift flurry of action stopped her speech, and she was suddenly enveloped in a large, warm mantle. Zuko had slipped off his large overcoat, and settled it over her shoulders.

She was caught off guard by the brief sensation of his arms around her, and then by the faint scent of sandalwood and citrus.

She breathed out a "thank you" and then fell back into silence.

The heat lingered in the threads of the coat for awhile, and they sat in stillness for a bit more.

Finally, she shifted and said, "I should probably get back to my room."

Zuko stood up fluidly, then offered a hand down to her. She accepted, and allowed herself to be pulled up.

She found herself facing his chest, and for half a second, Katara had the thought that they fit together perfectly; his chin would just rest on her head.

Then Zuko stepped back, taking the warmth she had taken for granted with him.

"I'll take you back to your room," he said, leading the way out of the garden.

They walked down the halls without talking, while Katara tried to memorize the way; She wanted to be able to get back to that garden.

She asked suddenly, "What was that place?"

"It was my mother's garden," he said, while Katara quickly looked over at him, "She had it remodeled from an old training courtyard a few years after she moved here."

A wave of guilt flooded her.

"Zuko," she almost whispered, "I'm sorry if I intruded in your personal space. It won't happen again."

And she meant it. If Zuko didn't want her to be in his mother's garden, she wouldn't go back.

Surprised dashed across Zuko's face, making his scar twitch almost comically.

"It's all right," he said, as they rounded another corner, "I'm usually the only one who goes there anymore, except the gardeners, but that's only because it's located next to the royal family's rooms. And I'm the only person living in that wing," and at this he looked down at her and smiled crookedly, "Katara, feel free to go back anytime. I think my mother had it built so she could escape the palace for a little while, and I think she would have liked you to use it too."

They were now walking through a hallway that looked more familiar than most. Looking around, Katara was thinking she was sure she recognized that large, ornamental vase when Zuko stopped in front of some doors.

They were hers.

"Thanks!" She said brightly, "I'm pretty sure I would have wandered through the palace until morning if I hadn't found the garden. "

"It can be pretty confusing," Zuko admitted wryly, "When I was a kid, I had to carry a map with me when I left my rooms because I got lost easily."

His mouth twitched.

"Would you like me to make you one?"

"A map?"

He nodded, "That way you can find you way back to the garden anytime. And not get lost along the way."

She grinned up at him, "That would be great, Zuko. Thanks for-" She yawned widely- "Bringing me back."

"Anytime. And usually," he added, "There are a few servants walking the halls, so if you ever do get lost again, you should be able to find one."

"Usually? I didn't see anyone tonight."

"It's the Lily Festival."

"Sorry?"

"It's the festival we celebrate during the few weeks that the fire lilies bloom," He explained, and reaching over to the vase that stood by her door, he plucked a flower from the bouquet it held.

"They bloom once a year, and during that time villages and cities hold weeklong celebrations. It's kind of like a holiday."

Zuko handed her the flower. It was beautiful, bobbing delicately on a long stem, with it's curved petals a vibrant red.

"_They're called fire lilies..."_

For a moment, Katara was swept into her memories, and the raspy voice of Hama came back to her, along with the vision of the circle of dead flowers in a field.

She suppressed a shudder; Her nightmares didn't belong in the waking world.

She took the lily gently, and turned into her doorway.

"Goodnight Zuko," she said over her shoulder, "Thanks for bringing me back."

She caught a glimpse of the Firelord's face as she shut the door, hearing his soft "goodnight."

Katara crawled onto her bed, fully clothed, and laid the flower down next to her. She fell asleep with the smell of it drifting through her head, and something else, something that reminded her of...

When she woke up in the morning, she discovered she was still wrapped in Zuko's robe.


	6. Chapter 6

**aelisabethchilds:**

**Here's another chapter! **

**I've been blatantly disregarding a really long, really important essay that's due really soon, so be patient if it takes awhile for my next update…but, who knows? Maybe I'll just ignore the most-of-my-grade-for-the-expensive-college-class paper, and write my fanfic instead. It definitely sounds like **_**way**_** more fun! **

**Reviewreviewreview! **

**And I'm totally open to constructive criticism, and ideas for y'all:)**

**Enjoy, and **

"**May the Sun shine bright upon your backs and the waves wash away your sorrows." **

**(Isn't that poetic? Hehe.)**

Aang, Mina informed a sleepy Katara, as she brought in a tray of tea that morning, was with the Firelord, in the bending courtyard.

Katara made quick work of the tea, and then of a bath, though she still allowed herself to relish in the luxurious tub. She almost fell asleep again, surrounded by the hot water and perfumed steam.

Once she forced herself to leave the bathroom, she found Mina had opened the drapes over the balcony, and the sun had just cleared the horizon. Katara blinked in the sudden light, then turned to find the servant had laid out a formal dress.

She was not going to be wearing that today. The dark green dress Mina had laid out was lovely, but it was made of wool. And the room already felt warm at this time in the morning!

"Thank you, Mina, but I'll choose what to wear today."

The woman looked taken aback, "But Lady Katara- I mean, Katara," A look from the waterbender had reminded the servant to use her real name, "I'm your personal maid. It's my duty to help you in every way."

Katara sighed. She didn't really want a personal maid.

"I know, but I'm used to doing things on my own" She said as she walked over to the wardrobe and started shuffling through her mostly woolen clothes. _Too hot. Too long. Fur?! I really need to go... _"Actually, Mina, what I would really appreciate is if we could go shopping later. All my clothing," she motioned to the wardrobe, "Is a little too warm for the Fire Nation."

Mina, who had looked crestfallen when Katara had implied she didn't need her, brightened visibly.

"I have a cousin who works at the best shop in the capitol!" She exclaimed, "Would you like to go there?"

Katara nodded as she pulled out a pair of wide, cropped, dark blue pants, and a long, loose tunic that was a light gray.

"That would be lovely," she stated as she began to pull on the clothes, "Do you think we could go this afternoon? I think that if I go to dinner in one of these dresses, I might faint."

The servant smiled, and said "Yes, I'll arrange a palanquin for this afternoon."

"No palanquin," Katara stated as she put on a pair of soft leather slippers, "I'll walk."

Mina looked shocked once more, then sighed and agreed.

Katara was pretty sure the girl had decided that she was crazy and that it would be best to indulge the foreign waterbender while she was here.

Katara finished dressing, and as she tied a small sash around her waist, asked, "Would you bring me to the bending courtyard?"

Mina nodded, and walked towards the door. As Katara followed her, she saw Zuko's robe from the night before, laid across the corner of the bed. She dashed back, grabbed it, and followed Mina out the door.

"And this," she said, handing the garment to the woman, "Belongs to the Firelord. Would you make sure it gets back to him?"

Mina bent her head in acquiescence, and folding the robe over her arm. Katara couldn't see her eyes, but she had a feeling that is she could, they would be bright with interest. Mina led the way through the halls, which were now much brighter than the previous night, thanks to skylights she hadn't noticed before.

It took them about five minutes to reach the bending courtyard. Katara was lost after just a few turns, but Mina walked on, obviously sure of the way.

The courtyard itself was rather plain, just a large, open rectangle, dotted with large rocks. At one of the space was a long, water filled trench.

Katara smiled as she stepped out into the shadowed space- the sun wasn't high enough to shine into the courtyard, and so it was still rather cool.

She looked around for Aang and Zuko. They weren't in the yard. She turned to ask Mina if she was sure this was where they were, but the woman had already left.

_Great_, thought Katara as she stepped further out, _Now I have no one to take me back-_

With a yell, something fell in front of her. Rather, someone.

Aang jumped up, and saw Katara staring at him.

"Oh," he said breathlessly, glancing around quickly, "Hi, Katara, I didn't know you were-"

Another yell punctured the air, and this time, Zuko dropped to the courtyard from somewhere above Katara, somersaulting on impact, and straightening immediately.

Aang took a deep breath, and lashing out his leg, shot a spout of flame at the firelord.

Katara backed up as the two men continued their sparring. The previously cool courtyard had become much warmer.

She leaned against a wall, noting that the two benders had dropped from the gently sloped roofs that surrounded the area. How had they gotten up there?

Her question was answered as she watched Aang propel himself 20 feet through the air with fists of fire. Zuko rolled out of the way as Aang crashed into the ground where had just stood, and jumped up, sending a twisting whip of fire at the other man.

It was fascinating to watch them. Aang must have promised to only use firebending, for he didn't use any of the other elements, and the men were very equally matched.

They performed a kind of dance as they sparred, twisting and ducking and diving around each other.

Both of them were shirtless, and Katara could see their chests heaving, and dully glinting with sweat.

The duel ended suddenly, as Aang sent a massive wall of fire at Zuko, and then jumped forward with it. As Zuko split the wave of fire, Aang flew threw the fissure, and knocked the older man down, landing on top of him.

Zuko glared up at Aang for a moment, then his face broke into a smile. He shoved the avatar off his chest, and stood up.

"That was good," he said, gruffly as he and Aang started walking towards the water trough at the end of the courtyard, "You've improved since the last time we sparred. Have you been practicing often?"

Katara stepped out from the wall to greet them as Aang answered, "Not as much as I'd like, what with my new students, but sometimes I convince Iroh to leave the tea shop for a morning and watch my bending practises. He gives great advice."

Zuko "mhmm"ed in agreement.

"Good morning," Katara said as they came up to her, "You both looked pretty good out there."

She had meant bending-wise, but the thought that they both looked good _physically_ jumped into her head.

It was true. Aang had bulked up in the past years, and now sported a sturdy set of muscles. The way he moved reminded her a little of the polar bear dogs that could be seen running through her home city; Sturdy, always in motion, and practically immovable unless they wanted to be moved. It seemed a little at odds with his original bending, air being a fluid element, but maybe it was his bodies way of showing that he didn't completely belong to air.

And he was good looking. His facial features combined to create a face one wouldn't forget, not with those eyes and that jaw...

Zuko interrupted her thoughts, as he moved to the trough and splashed some water on his face, causing Katara to inspect him.

If Aang reminded her of a polar bear dog, then Zuko reminded her of a polar leopard- the spotted silver coated predators that roamed the poles in isolation. She had seen a polar leopard attack a seal before, and it had been the most frightening display of controlled power she had ever seen. The large cat had crept forward on the ice, shoulders rolling sensuously as it did. It had been completely silent, and the poor seal probably never knew what hit it; When it had pounced, the polar leopard streaked through the air, landing with precision upon its prey.

And like the silent hunter she had watched long ago, the firelord had a certain beauty. She knew that many people might think of his scar as disfiguring, but Katara disagreed. It took away from his otherwise perfect features- high cheekbones, defined brows, slightly slanted eyes, strong mouth- and made him seem less imposing...more human.

He was long, and sleek as well, not quite as substantial as Aang but certainly well muscled. Zuko was pulling a tunic on, and Katara watched his back muscles roll as he-

"Katara?" Aang asked, cocking his head to the side.

She felt a blush rise in her cheeks. She'd been ogling at Zuko while Aang was trying to talk to her!

"Sorry, Aang, I was just...thinking."

He raised an eyebrow, but continued, "Did you come here to practice? Or do you want to have to breakfast with Zuko and I?"

Zuko strode over as she answered, "I was thinking about bending, but if you two are going to go eat I'll come along, and practice later."

"Sounds good," said Zuko, who showed no signs of mentioning her late night wanderings.

She walked with the two men over to one of the four large doorways that led into the courtyard, pausing to wait as Aang threw a shirt on, then followed Zuko as he led the way through more halls.

She was almost sure that she recognized the hallway they were in, when Zuko turned and entered into the room where they had dinner the night before. The wall of windows, which had been dark last night, now let in a flood of light, which illuminated the low table which they sat themselves at, and the bowls of steaming food that awaited them.

The two men fell on the food, helping themselves to everything within reach.

_They must have been sparring a long time_, Katara thought with amusement, as she chose her breakfast carefully. Everything looked delicious, but she had learned that fire nation food had a nasty habit of containing vicious spices, that burned her tongue and made her eyes water.

She ended up with a bowl full of roasted mango and a delightfully tangy, creamy something, which Zuko called "yogurt".

Once Zuko and Aang had slowed down a little, they talked about Aang's new students.

Once Ozai had been defeated, a trickle of airbenders had made their way into the open. None of them had any training, and they ranged in all ages. They had escaped death by hiding their bending, and through much luck.

Now, bolstered by the fact that new Firelord seemed content to rule his own nation, and that the avatar was friends with him, airbenders travelled to Ba-Sing-Se - Aang's official home-and studied under the only man alive who could remember the ways of the Air Nomads.

Katara had seen some of them practice when she had last been in the capitol of the Earth Kingdom. She'd watched Aang lead a young girl, and a man old enough to be her father through basic bending maneuvers. When the man had succeeded in making a whirlwind, he'd grinned while the little girl clapped her hands enthusiastically and laughed. Katara had almost cried.

"I've been looking at a plot of land about a days ride on north from the Outer Wall," Aang said, "It's pretty close to a medium sized village, and I've already talked to the village headman, who says he'd be thrilled to have my school so close."

"Are there any buildings on it already?" Katara asked.

Aang nodded, "It used to be a noble's summer home, so there's a stable, and the main house, and these wild gardens." He shook his head, "It's beautiful there, it sits on this bluffs that just shoot up out of the surrounding farmland. I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy it," He stated, "It actually belongs to a merchant in the town, who bought it from someone else, but he's offering it at a really great price."

"Is the land on top of the bluffs farmable?" Zuko asked, "Or will you buy food from the village?"

"I've been thinking about that," the airbender said, "And I think that we're going to work really hard to become a part of the village. One of the things I have come to realize is that when the Air Nomads cut themselves off from the world, they allowed themselves to become aliens to those who didn't know them. It made it that much easier for them to be persecuted in the end. So, we'll buy supplies from the village, and get to know the people we live with."

Zuko nodded, and Katara put in "I think that will work wonderfully, Aang."

The door opened, and Sokka and Suki came in, looking well rested.

"Morning," Sokka said as he settled himself next to Katara, and started examining his choices for breakfast.

Suki sat down next to him, and asked, "Do we have any plans for the day?"

"Yeah," Zuko replied, "But if you guys want to do your own thing, that's alright too. I was just thinking we could go out for a ride this morning. There are some pretty spectacular waterfalls to the east of the palace, and if we take Appa, we'll be able to fly over some fire lily fields."

Katara put in her "Sounds good" as the rest of the people at the table voiced their approval.

"Great," quipped a dry voice from the doorway, "I'd love to go on a scenic trip."

Tohp was leaning on the doorframe.

Katara laughed with the others.

"Come on, Toph," she said cajolingly, "I won't be that bad."

MMMMMMMMMMMM

"That was boring," Toph complained as they landed back at Appa's barn midafternoon.

Katara rolled her eyes, relishing the fact that Toph couldn't see it, and then said "You have to admit, that cave behind the waterfall was pretty cool. And the rock that looked like Sokka?"

Toph shrugged, but a smile softened her face.

"Well I had fun." Aang stated as he jumped off Appa and landed lightly on the ground, "And you did too, Toph. Admit it."

The blind girl grumbled a moment, then muttered, "Fine, I had fun. Happy now, Twinkletoes?"

"Nope," he replied, "Not until you jump off Appa. I'll catch you."

Katara slid off the flying bison's back, giving him a couple pats while she watched Toph argue with Aang. She heard 'ridiculous" and "pigheaded boy" as Zuko slid down beside her.

He grinned, "You think she'd just get down on her own. She's done it a thousand times before."

Katara looked up at him, noticing that his hair had started to come out of it's simple bun, and said "I think she's enjoying it."

And she was right. Toph's face was flushed, and she was holding back a grin as she shouted "Fine!" and without another word flung herself off Appa and into the air.

Just before she collided with the stone ground, Aang swooped her up, catching her by her waist, and after spinning her once, deposited her safely on the ground.

The small woman laughed loudly, and walked with Aang to put Appa back in his barn.

Suki and Sokka had disappeared through the side entrance- at least that's what she thought she had heard Zuko call it- leaving Katara and Zuko standing in the courtyard alone.

Zuko reached into his tunic pocket, and pulled out a piece of folded paper,

"Here," he said, handing it to Katara.

She opened it and was momentarily confused by the dense lines and curves depicted on the paper. But then she realized-

"It's a map!" She cried, delighted.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed as they started walking towards the entrance to the palace, "I made it for you."

_He made it for me?_

"Thanks," she said, "When did you have the time?"

"Last night."  
"Last night?" She repeated, "But you must have been up so late. I mean, I don't even know when I returned to my rooms, after the garden."

She looked at him suspiciously, "Are you getting enough sleep?"

He laughed, a lovely, low sound.

"You're sounding like my uncle. Everytime he writes, he says"- and at this Zuko's voice morphed into a almost recognizable version of Iroh's- "Make sure you sleep enough, eat enough, meditate enough, and run your country well. But"- here he held up his first finger, and wagged it- "Don't forget to have fun, and enjoy yourself. You're only young for so long."

Katara grinned, "He's a wise man, your uncle."

"He is," Zuko agreed, "But I don't think he realizes just how much time running a nation takes. Anyway, I enjoyed making the map. I dug up my old one, from when I was a child and copied it, adding in the changes."

'Thank you," Katara said again, then smirked, "Here! Let _me_ lead the way back."

Zuko made a ridiculously extravagant bow for her, and murmured, "After you, Lady Katara."

The waterbender threw her nose into the air, and flounced through large doors, and down the halls, a laughing Zuko in her wake.

She turned the corner to the hall that showed up as where her room was, and found Mina waiting outside her bedroom door.

The servant bowed to Zuko, and then to Katara.

"I know you've just come back, my lady," Mina said, not noticing Katara's frown over her title, "But I was wondering if you still wished to go into the city this afternoon."

Shopping!

"Yes, Mina. I'll be ready in just a moment."

Katara looked up at Zuko, who was watching her with a clear question written on his features.

"Mina's taking me shopping in the city," she explained, "All my clothes are suited for cold weather, and if I wear wool in these temperatures, I'll most likely faint from the heat."

A thought crossed her mind, and she voiced it, "I better ask Suki and Sokka if they want to come along as well. I think Sokka insisted on bringing some _furs_ along."

"I'll provide an escort for you then," Zuko said, as he started to turn away, "They'll be waiting by the side entrance."

"Wait, Zuko," Katara exclaimed as he began to walk down the hall, "We don't need an escort. It's just in the city, and I don't want to be a bother. Besides," she added as she saw the skeptical look cross his face, "Mina's taking us. She knows where to go."

"I still think-"

"We'll be fine," She stated, and on an impulse, she stepped to his side, and gave him a quick hug, "But thanks for worrying. It's sweet."

The firelord blushed.

"And thanks for the morning," she added as she walked into her rooms, "I had a great time."


	7. Chapter 7

**aelisabethchilds:**

**Finally! I had the time to write another chapter. It's a lovely feeling, ignoring homework and typing late into the night:) **

**I hope you enjoy…**

**(reviewreviewreviewvreviewreview) **

***Oh, and share with all your friends! **

Zuko spent the afternoon in his study, wading through the piles of documents that needed his attention. He had a stack for his advisors, of things he didn't have to see to himself, but it was considerably smaller than his own.

But, by the time the sun had begun to lose its strength in the sky, he had made great progress; he could see the faded, scratched wood of his desk beneath the papers.

He had taken the desk from his uncle's old rooms, after Iroh had expressed that he didn't wish to live at the palace. Zuko knew Uncle Iroh loved his tea shop, and that he didn't miss living at court, but his absence frustrated the firelord.

During the first year of his rule, Zuko had felt slightly abandoned by his uncle. Iroh had been Zuko's only family for so long, and when Zuko had been thrust into the role of Firelord, Iroh moved to Ba-Sing-Se, leaving his nephew to fend for himself.

Looking back, Zuko could appreciate what his uncle had done. Instead of allowing Zuko to rely heavily upon him, as Zuko now knew he would have done, Iroh had forced Zuko to step up and take on the responsibilities of running his nation. And the old man hadn't left Zuko completely alone; Mashi had been a close friend of Iroh's, and many of Zuko's advisors had been recommended by the old general. They often reminded the young man of his uncle, and always provided excellent insights.

Zuko fingered the scratched surface of the desk for a moment, noting the place where he had etched a rather crude picture into the wood at the age of 6. Iroh, instead of raging about the defacing of his property, had laughed about it, and added his own figure to the surface.

Sighing, Zuko pushed himself away from the desk, and stood up. He missed his uncle.

The firelord left his study, and walked down the halls of the palace, no destination in his mind. He had made many changes to the palace after his coronation, for not only had he been made uncomfortable by the sheer opulence of his new home, but also of the memories held in its walls. The stifling, and overwhelming red theme had been cast off, replaced with more neutral tones for the walls and decor. There were still relics and emblems of the Fire Nation throughout the palace, but it wasn't overdone. And Zuko had insisted on more windows. One of the things his banishment had taught him was to enjoy the freedom of open sky and light. He'd commissioned skylights for the hallways, and had knocked down parts of walls to make way for large windows.

The finished product, in high contrast to the close walled, almost cage-like palace of his youth, was somewhere where Zuko could roam comfortably and feel at home.

His wanderings took him to the bending courtyard, where he found Sokka stretching, alone. The light sheen of sweat that covered the man indicated that he had probably already been practicing with the long sword that lay by his side.

"Hello," Zuko said, stepping into the courtyard.

Sokka glanced up from his stretch, and grinned.

"Zuko! Where did you end up this afternoon?"

"I was working," he answered, coming over to where Sokka sat, "And you?"

"Suki convinced me to go into the city with her, and Katara. Aang and Toph came along too, but they took off after they realized we were going shopping," at this Sokka shrugged, "Some people just can't appreciate the art of finding things."

"Did you? Find any...things?"

The water tribesmen stood up and rolled his shoulders, "Of course. Katara and Suki spent most of their time in this clothing shop, but after I found some clothes, I stopped into this accessory store, and look!"

Zuko examined the belt that was shoved under his nose. It seemed like any other leather belt he had seen. There was some nice detail by the buckle, but-

"It has pockets on the inside!" Sokka explained, turning the belt so Zuko could see that there were, indeed, multiple flat pockets lining the belt, "It's perfect for holding money, and rocks, and string and...stuff."

"Sure," Zuko said, trying not to laugh as Sokka thought for things that would fit in the small, flat pockets, "When did you guys get back?"

"About an hour ago. I think Katara and Suki went to try everything on. I'm not sure where Aang and Toph are."

Speaking of those two... "Sokka, are Aang and Toph-well-are they...?"

Sokka nodded, "Yeah. I don't they've made it official, but they are as close to dating as you can be."

"Huh," Zuko frowned a little, "I never thought..."

"I know, right? Actually, I think the only reason it works is because they're so different. They kind of..."

"Even each other out?" Zuko supplied.

"Yeah," Sokka agreed, "I mean, Katara and Aang? They didn't even make it two months. I think that they-"

"What?" Zuko asked, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"I think they got sick of seeing themselves in the other, you know? I couldn't bear to live with myself, I know that."

Zuko had been aware of the end of the short relationship between the waterbender and the avatar. Aang had left Ba-Sing-Se after the breakup, and stayed in the Fire Nation. Zuko remembered being unsure whether the younger boy was heartbroken, or relieved it was over. At the time, Zuko hadn't really paid much attention to it, being immersed in his new role.

But now, he wondered how Katara had felt after it. He knew she had returned to the South Pole, and he even received a cheery letter from her, telling him to write her once she got home.

Sokka had started to walk towards the door.

"Hey, Zuko, when's dinner?"

Zuko strode over to catch up with the other man, "Pretty soon. Are you going to clean up?"

Sokka smelled like he had been working hard.

"Yep," the other man said, "Next time I practice, you should come too. I haven't dueled with you in ages."

"I'd like that. Although, I'll probably beat you again."

Sokka gave him a rough shove.

"You cheated last time."

Zuko grinned, "Just because you chose to use only one sword doesn't mean that I'm cheating for using two."

"Whatever," mumbled Sokka.

The firelord and the water tribe warrior parted ways at Sokka's door, while Zuko continued on to his own rooms. He felt grimy from the day, and needed a bath and change of clothes before dinner.

With a nod to his guard, Lio, Zuko swept into his rooms, past the high wall of windows, and into the bathroom.

His bath was short, but effective, and by the time he climbed out, he felt immeasurably better.

The light was quickly dying as he searched for comfortable clothes, and so with a deep breath, and a few flicks of his hands, he lit the lamps positioned high on his bedroom walls, driving away the shadows that had begun to besiege his rooms.

Last night had been a more formal dinner, and Zuko had sat through it in his very formal robes, trying to ignore the itch created by the embroidery on his collar. Tonight, he slipped on a pair of dark, linen pants and soft boots.

Pausing in front of the mirror before he put on the dark gold shirt he had grabbed, Zuko inspected his reflection.

He looked very much as he ever did. Pale skin, wide shoulders, a well defined body built on a long frame. His two major scars were obvious and eye catching, both products of fire, and his own family. The variety of smaller scars he had acquired throughout his years were less noticeable, but they still remained.

He refused to grow the facial hair that he now could; he thought it made him look like his father. And he did see shadows of Ozai's features in his face, but, he was proud to note, he was more Ursa's son than Ozai's.

He turned from the mirror, pulling on his shirt. _I wonder what Lakkin looks like _flitted through his mind.

Zuko smoothed the light fabric of his shirt, then reached back and pulled his slight damp hair into a half bun, letting the bottom half lie down, brushing his shoulders.

_What does it matter what he looks like?_ He thought rather sternly to himself and then _I wonder if I'll be invited to the wedding..._

His chest tightened at the unexpected thought. He could almost imagine Katara in wedding finery, standing before a priest, at the side of some unknown man.

The tightening in his chest became an almost tangible pain.

Zuko frowned, then dismissed it, walking out of his rooms.

He could have taken the short route to the dining room, but instead, he walked towards the west wing, taking his time.

He turned down the hall where his guests were staying and BAM!

Something collided with his head, sending him staggering back. Through the ringing in his ears he heard a horrified voice exclaim, "Zuko! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

It was Katara, and she had opened her door just as he walked past it.

"I'm fine" he said as he straightened and looked at her.

For the second time in as many moments, Zuko felt as if he had been struck, although admittedly, this was a far better view than the door in his face.

Katara looked stunning.

She was wearing a long, sheer green tunic, over a deep gray sleeveless dress. A thin sash was tied at her slender waist. Her hair was hanging around her shoulders and back, falling in loose chestnut curls. The colors she wore made her light eyes stand out in her tanned face. The neckline of the tunic wasn't especially low cut, but it did bring attention to her long - her betrothal necklace.

Zuko blinked. Katara was still speaking.

"I didn't know anyone was out here, and I thought I was going to be late for dinner, and-Oh, Zuko. I'm sorry."

She reached up and brushed his forehead.

"I think I bruised you."

A shock ran through him, starting where her fingertips brushed his skin.

Zuko cleared his throat, and said "I'm fine" again, trying to ignore the heat spiraling through his chest. It was more than his usual inner flame, which always kept him comfortably warm.

"Are you going to dinner?"

Dinner. Right.

"Yeah. Want to walk with me?"

"Sure," said Katara, closing her door, "But let me lead the way."

With that, she pulled out the map he had made for her, and started down the hall.

He watched her walk away, hips swaying gently, before shaking his head and catching up to her.

"Katara?" He asked as he kept pace with her, "Do you have any plans for this evening?"

"No," she answered as she consulted her map, "Why?"

He grinned.

"Do you trust me?"

Katara tilted her head and glanced up at him.

"Yes."

"Then you now have plans for this evening. Meet me by the side entrance an hour after dinner's done."

./../././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././

"Zuko," Katara finally gasped out, "This is-is- it's amazing!"

She had met him at the side entrance, a little apprehensive, despite having said she trusted him. Zuko was there, in the same clothes from dinner, making her glad she hadn't changed.

He had refused to tell her where they were going as they walked through the dark palace grounds, and eventually out the palace gate. The streets of the capitol had been abnormally quiet.

"Where is everyone?" She had asked her companion.

"Just wait" had been the reply.

So they walked together a little further, making a few turns. Katara had started to hear something, and they were drawing closer to the sounds, when-

"Zuko!" She exclaimed once more, turning around and taking in all the noise, color and lights. And the _people!_

They had just turned onto a street filled with people, and booths, and music and brightly colored paper lanterns, and tantalizing smells.

Children ran underfoot, carrying bundles of red flowers, and scattering them about.

Firelilies.

"Welcome to the Lily Festival," said Zuko as they entered into the throng, "This is the second night of it, but I think it should be just as good as the first." Looking down at her he asked, "What do you think?"

Katara took in the mass of people, and sights, and the lilies that decorated everything, looking about, then smiled widely up at him.

"What should we do first?" She demanded, grabbing Zuko's warm hand and pulling him to the closest booth.

It was the most fun she'd had in ages.

She dragged Zuko from booth to booth, letting him show her which foods to taste, and explaining the games they'd find.

There was no money involved in the Lily Festival; the only way to pay the vendors and merchants was to give them fire lilies. And so, as they wandered through the streets, Zuko would stoop down to pick up fallen flowers, always handing them to Katara with a flourish. She would then determine where they'd stop next, trading her lilies for a chance to "Spin the Avatar" or "Hit the white petal and win big!"

The sun had set hours ago, but the paper lanterns illuminated the streets, throwing soft shadows onto everyone. In the half light, Katara and Zuko walked together; Zuko was only called out as the firelord twice, though she was sure he was recognized.

The first time, it was a small girl, who after staring at Zuko for a while, brought over a garland of fire lilies and, bashfully curtseying, gave them to him. Katara was pretty sure Zuko blushed more than the girl, but he thanked her softly, and bowed in return.

Once she had left, Zuko turned to Katara and placed the garland around her neck.

She might have blushed too.

The second time, they had stopped at a tea vendors booth. The owner stared at Zuko, then said, "I'm afraid this won't compare to your uncle's concoctions, your highness."

Zuko looked pleasantly surprised at the mention of his uncle, "Have you had his tea, then?"

"Yes, but it was a long time ago. He once visited my tea shop, and demonstrated the correct way to brew the leaves of the redberry plant. It was the best tea I ever had."

Zuko smiled, and sipped at his tea. His brows raised.

"You must come to the palace sometime, and serve your tea for me and my guests."

The vendor looked shocked, but Zuko continued "This is delicious, the best tea I've had since returning to the Fire Nation-excepting my uncle's" he added, with an apologetic smile.

The man behind the booth bowed, and said, "It would be my pleasure, Firelord."

"What is your name, and where do you work?"

"My name is Ji Wong, your highness, and I am the owner of the Sweetened Kettle."

"Very good," Zuko said, turning to go, "Expect an invitation soon."

Katara gave the vendor a smile as she followed Zuko away from the booth. The poor man looked dazed.

"That was nice," she commented as they walked down the street. It was slowly emptying of people, given the late hour. Katara was unsure as to how long she and Zuko had been out here.

"I can remember what it's like to have to have to work hard everyday, trying to make a living," Zuko offered, "And I know that when someone recognized my work, it was a good feeling."

They continued walking, following strains of soft music. They discovered it source after turning onto a square, it by lanterns, with a gurgling fountain in the middle.

A small group of musicians play to the side, and couples danced to the bright notes they coaxed from their instruments.

Excitement rose within her. _Dancing! _ She hadn't danced in a long time.

"Come on," She said, pulling at Zuko's wrist, "Let's dance!"

Zuko resisted her pulling, and Katara looked back at him. He had a funny expression on his face.

"Right now?" He finally asked, eyeing the shifting bodies that twirled about the square.  
"Yes," she stated, pulling more insistently on his arm, "I like this song, and I like this dance. Zuko," she added, seeing the misgiving on his features, "I haven't danced in a really long time."

He looked down at her, and she knew she had won. Tugging once more, she pulled him into the mass of dancing couples, and, placing her arms in his, started to dance.

The music was fast and bright, sweeping them along its high melody. Zuko looked uncomfortable for the first few measures, then his shoulders relaxed, and his face softened.

Katara laughed. Some people just didn't know what they wanted, even if it was staring right at them.

They maneuvered around the other dancers, feet tripping along in time, and bodies swaying.

The music crescendoed, then came to a sudden halt.

They stopped, and Katara tried to catch her breath, while grinning. Looking up at Zuko she saw him breathing a little harder as well, but he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Some of the dancers left the square, but most remained, as the musicians shuffled their music, then raised their instruments up again.

"Another?" She asked her companion.

"Another." He agreed, grabbing her hands as an old country dance filled the air.

Katara didn't know this dance as well, but she laughed her way through it, allowing Zuko to lead. By the time the song had come to an end, she had stepped on his toes more times than she could count, and Zuko was doing his best to remain mock angry.

"I demand another dance in payment for that last monstrosity," he stated in a ridiculously formal voice, as the musicians picked their next song, "I can't remember the last time my royal feet were trod upon in such a manner."

She hid her chuckle by bowing low, "Please, your Firelordiness, let me make it up to you. I couldn't live with myself, knowing I harmed your royal feet."

The musicians played the first notes to the next song, bittersweet melodies signaling a slower dance.

Zuko took her hand in his, and pulled her close to him, his other hand resting in the space between her lower back and waist.

Katara could feel its imprint burning through her dress, into her skin.

They were swept into the dance, circling lightly along with the other dancers, but Katara found that she couldn't focus on them, or anything else around her. Her gaze was caught on a pair of light amber eyes, looking down into her face. Her stomach tightened pleasantly, and she found that her hands trembled slightly, one caught in Zuko's warm clasp, the other resting on his crooked elbow.

He was, as always, very warm as he danced close to her. She could feel heat pouring out from his body, and she shivered despite the warmth.

If someone had later asked her how long they danced, she would have said for years. She felt caught up in the moment, in the music, like a flower swept out to sea by a current. It was a heady feeling, being twirled around the softly lit square.

But she had learned in the past years that all good things end, and this moment was no exception.

The last notes of the song hung in the air, lingering long enough for her to wish they'd remain just a little longer. Zuko leaned down towards her, his eyes still holding hers. His face was so close to hers-

Then he tilted his head and whispered in her ear, "I'll accept that as payment for my toes."

Reality broke in.

The other dancers started chatting, the musicians looked for another song, and Katara blinked, dropping her head to glance around her.

Zuko lifted his hands away from her, and walked to the fountain in the center of the square.

Katara took a deep breath, and followed him, settling herself next to where he sat on the fountain's edge.

They watched the couples dancing in silence for awhile, then Zuko spoke up.

"I haven't been to one of these festivals in years."

"Really?" She asked, glad to converse about-well, anything. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah. The last one I went to was with Mai, four years ago. Ever since then, I've been too busy, or I've just forgotten."

Curiosity welled within her at the mention of the girl she faintly remembered.

"Mai? Wasn't she your...girlfriend?"

Zuko shrugged, and Katara watched him intently, aware that this sudden interest in Zuko's relationships was probably not good.

"She was, for awhile. It ended a long time ago, though. She," here he made a face, and with the scarred side of his face to her, and the shadows from the lanterns, Katara thought he looked as if he wore a mask, "She had this way of not truly caring about many things, and I discovered that, as Firelord, I have to care about lots of things, a lot. We just, kinda, drifted apart."

Katara struggled to recall what Mai had looked like. All she could remember was a faint, tall shape, a bored, pale face, and wicked skills with blades.

"Where is she now?"

"She got married a few months ago, to some noble from the earth kingdom. I think they are living on his estates, outside of Ba-Sing-Se."

Oh.

"But hey, you know all about short relationships too," Zuko quipped, making Katara wince, "I mean, you and Aang..."

He trailed off as he caught sight of Katara's face. She imagined it didn't look very pleased.

"Yes. Aang and I were together for a very short time. It ended almost as soon as it began." With that said, she shrugged, dismissing the weeks of too much emotion, failed expectations and awkward breakup with a move of her shoulders.

Zuko cleared his throat, "Um, sorry, for bringing that up. At least, you know, you've found someone else."

Katara didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She reached up to rub her betrothal necklace absentmindedly.

The musicians were finished, and the square emptied of its occupants as they packed up their instruments.

They were the last two in the square, and Katara enjoyed the quiet, interrupted only by the water running in the fountain.

"It's late." Zuko stated, and Katara took that as the "it's time to head back".

She stood up, and dusted off her dress. Zuko copied her movements, straightening his shirt.

The walk back to the palace was much shorter than she remembered, but that could have been due to the now empty streets, which were littered with trampled lilies and the now dark lanterns.

It made her a little sad to see the lovely flowers lying about, with wilted petals and broken stems.

In a short time, they had come back to the side entrance of the palace, the walk back having passed in a blur of shadows. The palace grounds were dimly lit by small lanterns lining the paths.

"I'll leave you here, then," Zuko said as they came to the doors. He opened one for her. "I'm going to walk around the grounds a while more."

She looked up at the sky, "It's late."

She meant it as "you really should get some sleep, Zuko, you look a little tired".

Zuko grinned in the darkness, which Katara could only see as the glinting of teeth, and the shifting of shadows on his lean face.

"I'm just going to walk for a few minutes. I'll go to bed soon, Katara. If you're not careful, you'll start looking like my uncle too, not just sounding like him."

"I don't know how I'd look with a beard," she murmured, closing the door behind her as she entered the palace.


	8. Chapter 8

**aelisabethchilds: I think I'm being a little mean, posting this wee chapter. But hey! This is what I've got for the evening. **

**Enjoy:)**

"**May the moon send her smiles your way"!**

The next week flew by.

It had passed in a series of moments-at least, that's how it seemed to Katara.

There was the odd goodnight to Zuko, after the Lily Festival, which ended after she lifted her lily necklace off and crawled into bed.

Then there was the awkward scene when she came across Toph and Aang in the front gardens of the palace the next morning. They were kissing. They didn't notice her, so maybe it was only awkward for her...

One morning at breakfast, Suki had delighted everyone by juggling seven mangos. Zuko had tried to, as well, but ended up tossing one of the fruit in Toph's yogurt.

Katara and Suki sparred one day, Katara promising not to bend. It was the first time Katara managed to knock the Kyoshi warrior down- "That'll never happen again" huffed a slightly disgruntled Suki after they finished.

She and Aang took Appa for a fly, but the time together, which Katara would have enjoyed, was spoiled by the younger man asking her about wedding details. She'd been trying to avoid thinking about that.

_It _happened at odd intervals throughout the week as well. Once while she was taking a bath. She managed to drag herself out of her element, which offered no help against the tightening at her throat, and the darkening of her vision. Then, while she was walking back from dinner, following Sokka and Suki, the horribly familiar sensation began, and she quickly dove around a corner, sinking to her knees as she waited to regain control of her breath. She heard Sokka call out her name, then say, "Oh well. She's probably gone off to the library." She even lost consciousness one night, sitting out on her balcony, enjoying the warm breeze from the sea. She woke up with a foul curse on her tongue, and ringing in her ears. It was terrifyingly strange to not have control over her own body, and Katara discovered a hate welling up inside her. It was almost as frightening as the choking.

But she also discovered moments that swept her quiet seconds of terror to the side.

Zuko brought them all into the capitol the night after they had gone in together, for the Lily Festival lasted all week, and showed his guests the delights she had seen the night before.

She danced with him again.

Toph invited-or dragged- Katara off to a spa she'd heard of in the capitol, and they had spent the day catching up. Katara even managed to get Toph to talk about her relationship with Aang. "He's kinda annoying," the earthbender complained as they sat in the sauna, "He likes to play with my hair, and hold my hand." Toph blushed as she complained, and Katara got the impression that she didn't really mind that much.

Mina brought her tea every morning, and only called her "Lady" two times.

Zuko found her one afternoon, wandering around the main gardens, and told her he wanted to show her something. She'd followed him through the palace, noting where they were on her map, which she kept with her at all times. he opened a pair of large, unadorned wood doors, and led her into a room filled with scrolls, and books. "It's the palace library," he explained as she went over to examine an ancient looking text, "I thought you might like it." She hugged him.

And every night, she would lie in her bed. Sleep would refuse to come to her. She'd wait, and wait, praying for sleep, but then, finally, she'd give up and make her way to the small garden she'd found. She'd taken to calling the Secret Garden-not because it was unknown to anyone else-but because very night, she'd sit in the grass, alone, and whisper a secret to the willow tree that offered silent comfort. She didn't see another person in the garden the whole week, and she refused to admit to herself that she was quietly wishing Zuko would join her again.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

That week was the longest he had ever known. It was a neverending torture of days spent in his study, wishing he could be out there -with Ka- his friends- but knowing he had to prepare for the conference, which was less than two weeks away.

Zuko found some time to be with his guests, but it always felt insufficient. He practiced his bending every morning, as soon as the sun rose, and Aang joined him twice. He also sparred with Sokka, an exhilarating test of his skills with the dao swords, and of the other man's skills as well, which had greatly improved.

He had tea with Toph one afternoon, catching up on news from Ba-Sing-Se, and listening to stories about his uncle's tea shop customers.

And, on a whim, he caught up to Katara in the gardens one day, and took her to the library. She'd looked thrilled at the sight of the dusty old texts, and scrolls. He'd never been one to sit down with a book for the afternoon-books were for history and battle strategies and lineage- but after Katara grinned and hugged him,thanking him for showing it to her, he discovered that he wouldn't have minded spending the afternoon with her in the library. Unfortunately, Mashi choose that moment to remind him that he needed to review the new design for his proposed universal currency.

And every night, after he left his study, and walked down the halls toward his room, he would pause in the shadows of the window that overlooked his mother's garden. A slim figure would sit by the willow, and Zuko would watch her. He raged a silent battle each evening, as he saw her. He knew he wanted to go out to her, and he was beginning to understand why as well. And it terrified him.

So he left Katara to her thoughts in the garden.


	9. Chapter 9

**AELISABETHCHILDS:**

**Oh man, did I have fun writing this chapter… hehehe. Tell me what you think- Do you love it? Do you hate it? What do you think about the situation with Lakkin?! (I mean, you'll see…)**

Exactly 8 days after they had arrived in the Fire Nation, Katara found herself in the empty bending courtyard. She'd practiced with Aang a few times during her stay, but today, she wanted to be by herself. The weather had taken a turn for the hotter, and the humidity wasn't helping her already darkening mood.

She started off with simple forms- water whips, waves, ice shields and daggers- trying to ignore her growing frustration.

How could anyone bear this heat? She was sweating already, and it was only two hours after sunrise!

She grew bored with her basic bending, and began to work on her more elaborate moves. She practiced making an ice slide, and using bending to propel herself along it, pushing at her feet with the ice to move herself along. Then, she formed giant columns of ice and sliced thin layers off it, shooting them at the walls. There were some new cracks on them once she had finished.

She pulled a mass of water together, and with a few deft flicks of her wrist, she brought Buddy into being. She spent a little extra time on him, refining his features, then she bent him behind her back, and started going through non-bending offensive forms, trying to keep Buddy alert and protecting her back. It was more difficult to keep the iceman mobile while she was working on her non-bending moves, which required a different concentration than her usual bending did.

She performed a quick, high kick to her right, and felt Buddy slip out of her control. She turned around as the form of ice and water slumped to the ground and began to melt.

"Dammit" she half-shouted, running her hands over her messy bun, and then continued to berate herself, "How do expect this to be of any help if you can't even defend yourself while going through simple moves, Katara? You can do better than this."

She bent the water back up, only to find part of it had evaporated on the hot courtyard floor.

"Perfect" She muttered turning to the water trough at the other side of the yard. She bent out large wave, feeling a little better as it leapt to do her bidding. She shifted her weight, and spun, allowing the water to form a liquid globe around her. With the water surrounding her, the temperature dropped perceptively. An idea formed, and she drew in a deep breath, then expelled it, freezing the water into a small ice dome, with her at the center.

With a sigh, Katara sat herself down in the ice dome, and crossed her legs. She took a few more deep breaths and closed her eyes. Finally. An escape from the heat.

She sat that way for a long time, almost meditating. A small drop of water interrupted her though, and she looked up to see the ice thinning, and water running down its sides in tiny rivulets.

She stood up in the encased area, and with a subtle shift of her weight, and a downward movement of her arms, she collapsed her chilly globe.

The sun blinded her momentarily and she blinked rapidly. Once she could see, she discovered she wasn't alone in the courtyard anymore.

"I was wondering when you were going to come out of there," Zuko said, stepping away from the wall he had been leaning on, "But I figured that you wouldn't let yourself freeze to death. You're too familiar with the cold to be that silly."

"I was hot," she stated with a shrug, "And I'd been practicing a while."

"Oh," he answered, walking towards her, "Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to spar."

She felt her eyebrows fly up. She hadn't sparred with Zuko since-well, since he had been the angry banished prince from the Fire Nation, who tracked down the avatar and hurt the people she loved. And the last time they had fought on equal terms- in the Northern Water Tribe-he had crushed her.

"But if you're tired, it can wait 'til later. If you do, you know, want to spar..."

"I do," she said quickly, making up her mind, "And right now's fine."

"Alright, then."

Zuko shrugged his loose shirt off, while Katara tied her hair back more securely, trying not to notice the way his shoulders moved smoothly as he drew the shirt over his head, or stare at his rather beautiful chest as he faced her again-_had she just thought his chest was "beautiful"?! What was wrong with her? But... it was well sculpted, and impressive, despite the large, star shaped scar in its center._

Zuko was speaking.

"So, no crippling blows, no lightning, no bloodbending-" Katara winced slightly at that- "and who ever gets the other to yield first wins. Sound good?"

She nodded, and her opponent settled into a low position, his knees bent, and spread wide, his arms held at ready.

Katara bent up a mass of water, both from the puddle left over from her ice dome, and from the water trough behind her.

Zuko's face was a study of determination, but he made no move to attack.

Katara waited, water poised around her in a loose, thick loop.

She heard Zuko inhale slowly, then his fists jabbed forward and two bullets of flame came flying at her. She drew her water up to form a liquid shield, then let it fall back down once she'd heard the *hiss* of the fire on her element.

Zuko had run forward while her view of him was obstructed and as he darted towards her, Katara sent out a large wave, trying to upset his balance. He parted it with a fist of white hot flame, then swung his right leg around, sending out a low hedge of flames.

_Great Waves! He's fast!_

She leapt to her left, pulling as much water with her as she could. Sweeping her arms up, she flung her water into the air, then sent it hurtling towards Zuko as thin spears of ice- she kept complete control of it though, for she didn't truly want to impale Zuko with a hundred shards of ice. Her control was for nothing. Zuko raised his hands and spun a arc of flame above his head, melting the ice, and creating a sudden cloud of steam.

With a curse and a grunt, he was knocked back as Katara flung a water whip at him, catching him on his lower stomach. She took a second to gloat to herself about blow, then bit back a curse of her own, and he flipped backward, sending a jet of fire from his feet.

She ducked below it, feeling the intense heat just over her head. Sniffing, she thought she caught the faint whiff of burnt-_if that man had burnt her hair..._

She looked up to see Zuko grinning broadly.

That did it.

She attacked, with whip after whip, wave after wave, ice shards following ice shards.

Zuko's grin slid off his face as he bent offensively, concentrating on remaining on his feet on the now icy ground.

They were both breathing heavily now. Katara unwisely gave herself a moment to bend the sweat off her body and clothes, and Zuko took it as his opportunity to start a defensive strategy.

He jumped forward, his flames melting the ice on the courtyard ground, and he started pummeling the air, sending fireballs her way.

Katara ducked to the side, but ended up with her back against the courtyard wall- _when had she gotten so close to it?_

Zuko strode towards her, both his fists filled with fire, he was getting closer-

Katara gathered as much water as she could, and bent it into a smaller version of her earlier ice dome, but this one was half-formed against the wall, with Katara huddling on the inside.

_Stupid, _she berated herself, _How are you going to get out of this?_

A jet of fire started working in the thick walls of her shell, and Katara could feel her element start to evaporate under the heat. She needed to get out, somehow...

Making up her mind, she steeled herself and, after drawing in a deep breath, she shoved herself off the wall, bending her water away as she jumped towards the source of the flames.

Zuko yelled hoarsely as she tumbled into him, his still flaming hands flying to the side as she landed on top of him.

"Do you yield?" She demanded, bending long, sharp ice dagger above his head. She was sitting on his stomach, her knees on either side of him.

Zuko glared up at her. Then, his mouth twisted into a tiny smirk.

She shrieked as one of his knees jerked into her lower back, pushing her forward on his chest. Her ice dagger flopped down to the side, uselessly. Zuko then used his upper arms to send her flying off his chest, while he slid out under her.

She landed face down on the ground, stone scratching her cheeks and nose. She could only groan in pain a moment, because a second later, she was flipped over, and her arms were pinned to her sides by a grip she couldn't break.

Zuko sat down on her stomach, and her breath *whoosh*ed out in a sudden burst.

He grinned down at her, his eyes crinkling.

"Do you yield?"

Blues eyes stared into gold, and Katara held still a moment, before trying to buck him off suddenly. It didn't work. He was too heavy for her to throw off using only her hips.

"I could stay here all day," Zuko said glancing up at the sky, "Though you might get a little warm..."

Katara was suddenly _very _aware that Zuko was sitting on her stomach, with his bare chest glistening slightly in the sun, and his face hovering less than a foot away from hers.

She felt her face flush, and hoped Zuko would think it was the heat and the bending that put the extra rose into her cheeks.

"Do you yield?" He asked again, leaning closer to her face. She could see the amusement shining in his eyes. But then, it faded, replaced by something that made her stomach flutter. His face was getting closer-

And then it was another face, leaning down towards her, with a thin nose, sharp, dark blue eyes and a wide, smiling mouth. She scrunched her eyes shut tightly.

_Lakkin._

She uttered a small scream, and started to thrash under his weight.

_She didn't want this. He had to let her get up!_

"Katara!"

It wasn't Lakkin's smooth, melodious voice that said her name. It was Zuko's rougher, low, familiar voice.

She blinked rapidly, then felt the weight leave her chest. She pushed herself back, then up to standing.

Zuko was staring at her, concern shifting across his face. He started to reach towards her, and she jumped back.

"I-I- I yield, Zuko. You won." She said, trying to ignore the trembling of her voice, "Good job."

"Katara-" he began, but she interrupted him.

"I should probably go now. I need to clean up, and I told Suki I would take her to the library this morning."

She started walking to the door that was closest to the hall that would take her back to her rooms.

A warm, large hand closed over her upper arm, and stopped her. Katara stayed as she was, facing the door.

"Katara," Zuko said, his voice rougher than normal, "What was that? Why did you-"

She hunched her shoulders a little, and steeled herself.

"It was nothing, Zuko. I'm tired, and I'm going back to my rooms to clean up. Thank you for the spar, and congratulations on your impressive bending."

She tugged her arm free from his loose grip, and exited through the door, leaving Zuko in the courtyard. She could feel his stare until she turned a corner, and left his field of vision.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

She settled herself into her bath tub, letting the warm water caress her itching skin, and sore muscles. That spar had been far more intense than she had thought it would be; She had a bruise collection forming, and small, stinging scratched across her face, from when Zuko sent her face-first into the ground.

She slipped beneath the hot water, and called up her healing. Its soothing power washed over her, like a warm ocean's waves. She lent her power to the entire tubful of water, and her sores eased, her scratches knit themselves together.

She lay at the bottom of the tub for some time, immersed in the warm water, letting it support her. Water, she decided, was the best element. It wasn't rough, like earth, or pushy like air. And it wasn't as uncontrollable, or like to hurt, as fire.

She surfaced finally, taking a deep breath in, then sinking down again. Her hair whispered around her, in the strange silence of the water.

She allowed herself to think back on the fiasco she had just escaped. She didn't know why she'd seen Lakkin's face, in place of Zuko's-well, if she was honest with herself, Katara did know why. It had reminded her of their first kiss. Lakkin, hovering over her, bending lower, amusement lighting his face...

She shuddered.

It was funny how people changed once you got to know them.

She dragged herself out of the tub, and wrapped a robe around her trembling frame. She hated this. She hated this feeling of powerlessness. And it was all _his_ fault.

...

She'd liked Lakkin immediately. He'd introduced himself to her family-her father was the Chief, after all-and despite her initial anger over the lack of support the Western Tribe had offered to the rest of the world during the war Katara was drawn to the handsome, tall young man. Lakkin was tall-maybe as tall as Zuko- with thick, brown hair, held back in a traditional wolftail. His skin was a shade darker than her own- a product of the "persistent sun of the Fire Nation", he had explained once- and he was impressively built, long, and strong. His size always managed to make her feel delicate. He had a lean face, with pronounced cheekbones, and a quick smile. He seemed to know he was handsome, but he never acted vainly.

He'd been charming, funny and attentive to her. He even offered to teach her non-bending combat skills, something Katara knew she was rotten at. Lakkin was a waterbender, like herself, and he was at the same skill level as Katara.

He'd told her once how captive waterbenders had escaped from Fire Nation prisons and-due to the war around them, and the uncertainty of any home waiting for them-had chosen to take refuge in an outcropping of islands to the west of the Fire Nation. It was through their knowledge of bending, passed down through generations, that he had acquired his knowledge of bending.

They'd formed a fast and easy friendship; Lakkin was open and quick to laugh, which Katara appreciated, so soon after her short-lived relationship with Aang. He never pushed her for any kind of declaration of affection, never throughout their friendship of over two years. It had just happened that day, out on the frozen tundra...

...

Katara settled herself into the meditation niche in her room. It was less warm in here than in her sunny bedroom.

The "after" of their first kiss flooded her.

...

After they'd kissed, and confessed their attraction, everything seemed to compound. Lakkin spent more and more time with her, and she'd been delighted. His attentions, mannerisms, and affectionate-not to mention passionate- flirtations solidified the idea of her love for the man. A month after their first kiss, he'd asked her father for her hand in marriage.

She'd been thrilled. And Hakoda had been pleased at both the prospect of ensured positive ties to the Western Tribe, and with Katara's obvious joy.

And Lakkin had produced her betrothal necklace soon after.

She could remember the afternoon she put her mother's necklace away, packing it in her trousseau trunk, wrapping it gently in soft. She'd imagined giving it to her own daughter, and had smiled.

She recalled the feel of Lakkin's rough hands as he tied his necklace around her neck, and placed a quick kiss on the clasp. She'd grinned, and kissed him. Hard.

...

Her hand reached up to brush the necklace.

...

It was different from the usual betrothal necklaces she'd seen her whole life. Not made with blues, but with a white ribbon- had felt rather chilly when she first put it on- and a gray pendant, with an intricate design upon it.

She knew something was strange about it when she tried to take it off for the first time. She'd been about to practice her bending, in the small courtyard of her home, and she hadn't wanted to damage the lovely necklace; it was so new...

And so she tried to untie it-only to find that there was no clasp, no knot in the ribbon. She fingered the entire length of the necklace, and couldn't determine how Lakkin had attached it on her.

She'd asked him about it that night, but he'd laughed and said with mock hurt, "Are you trying to get rid of it already?". Her following declaration of "No, Lakkin, I love y-" had been cut short by a swift, and rather forceful kiss. She'd thought nothing of it.

But then he'd begun to change. It was so subtle at first, that she thought nothing of it. A harsh word here, a sparring session that ended with a little too much pain; Lakkin was a man, and he was stronger than he realized- that's how she reasoned with herself.

And then one night, she woke up to a tightening around her neck, and she'd struggled to pull at the necklace, which despite remaining as loose as ever, seemed to be the cause of her pain.

She'd confronted Lakkin the next day.

"_What have you done to this?"_

"_Your necklace? Why, don't you like it, darling?"_

"_Don't touch me! You've done something to this, and it won't come off. Lakkin, I-I want to call off our engageme-"_

"_Now you listen to me, Katara. We _are_ getting engaged, and you _will_ continue to be thrilled about it. I've worked too long to let you back out now."_

"_I won't marry you! You're not the person I fell in love with, you're-"_

"_Different? Come on, Katara, you made it too easy for me. All you needed was a little attention, a little humor, some affection, and you were water in my hands. Really, I'm surprised you haven't married before now, since you seem to fall in love with anyone who smiles at you."_

"_Lakkin! That's it. I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm going to my father-"_

"_You're father, darling, is thrilled about this new connection we're forming between tribes. You see, he knows that the Western Tribe has lived for a very long time in the shadow of the Fire Nation. Do you think we survived by just hiding? No. We learned very quickly that the best way to keep our home a secret was to silence anyone who couldn't be trusted. And how did we do that? We've developed our bending in ways your people haven't dared dream of. We've built up our army, and we're constantly ready to defend our way of life. Do you think Hama was the only waterbender to discover bloodbending? She only brushed the surface of its possibilities. And we've other gifts, as you've discovered with your necklace, that you and your tribes have no power against."_

"_Are you-are you threatening my tribe?"_

"_It's only if you don't behave, darling. As long as you continue to act like a idiot girl in love, and marry me next year, I promise, nothing will happen to your tribe, or your family."_

"_My family!-"_

"_Of course, darling. Haven't you noticed the new fabric that's been circulating throughout the tribe? It's a lovely, white cloth, silky smooth, but extremely strong..."_

And he'd smiled as her airway tightened, and she fell to her knees, head spinning for want of air.

He'd known her weaknesses, and he'd pressed his advantages.

And so, when he'd departed to return to his home, it had been with the promise that he would be preparing a home for his fiancé, for the time when she would return with him.

And Katara never breathed a word of it to anyone. She discovered that the fabric that made the ribbon of her necklace had integrated itself into the homes of everyone around her. She saw one of her friends use it for her wedding dress, even little Shila had a shift made of the smooth material.

And she saw how the men who had fought in the war settled themselves into their homes, putting aside their weapons, and taking up their old occupations. Her tribe would not suffer because she wasn't strong enough to handle a man who she'd discovered she did not love. Her people would not face a war because she couldn't find a way to ease this situation.

...

And she had tried. She'd attempted to destroy her betrothal necklace, a difficult task with it resting against her throat, but no blade she tried could cut through the thin ribbon.

And she'd written to Lakkin, after his departure, begging him to release her from their betrothal, to leave her people be. They couldn't possibly be a threat to his tribe!

And every time she sent a letter to him, pleading, she'd wake up in the middle of the night, or be stopped as she was working around with the horrible sensation of choking gripping her throat. He seemed to respond in that way to her letters, so she eventually stopped sending them, despite his consistent, cheerful messages, which always began with "_Dear darling_".

She knew she'd lost weight in the last year- living with a constant burden of fear and terrified anticipation would do that to a person. And she found sleep troubling, filled with dark dreams, and often interrupted by _that_.

And then she'd been given the task of not only preparing for her wedding, but also supervising parts of the Joining Celebration and Ceremony-

"Katara?"

She jumped, half rising from the cushion she had been resting on for some time now.

It was Mina.

"Hello, Mina," Katara said, smoothing down her curling hair-she hadn't done anything to it after her bath- and finding pleasure in the fact that her voice betrayed none of what she had been thinking of, "What is it?"

The woman entered partway into the meditation niche, and answered, "Lady Suki was looking for you. SHe mentioned that you were going to show her something..."

"Yes!" Katara exclaimed, jumping up from her cushion, and brushing past Mina, into her bedroom. She slipped behind a screen, and began to dress.

"I'm going to show Suki the library," she explained, as Mina whisked away the robe Katara had thrown over the top of the screen, "I think there are some texts she'll be very interested in, about Avatar Kyoshi."

Mina murmured something in agreement, then examined Katara as she stepped out form behind the screen.

"You look lovely."

Katara smiled. She was happy with this dress. It was a rich, deep red, and fell to her feet in soft, weightless folds. It was extremely cool, but didn't compromise beauty, or modesty to achieve it.

She was pulling her hair into a simple bun, and walking towards the door when Mina "ahem"ed.

Katara turned around to see the girl offer her a scroll.

"This just came for you," the girl said, and then she left the room.

Her name was written on a tag, attached to the thin roll of parchment, in bold handwriting. Her chest constricted, and her throat tightened of its own accord. She knew that handwriting.

She unrolled the scroll with trembling hands.

It began,

"_Dear darling,"_

**aelisabethchilds: But really, what do you think? Don't leave me waiting in anticipation!**


	10. Chapter 10

**aelisabethchilds:**

**UPDATEUPDATEUPDATE:)**

**Hello there! Welcome to another chapter…**

**I hope you like it, and let me know what you think(?)**

**And tell me, have any of you ever had Good Earth Sweet and Spicy tea? **_**It's to die for! **_**I am absolutely addicted. For some reason – perhaps the aforementioned addiction- I was daydreaming about it today, and so it ended up in this chapter…only mentioned briefly and not in name, but hey! It's worth mentioning. So try some if you haven't, and if you have some handy, make a big mug of it and enjoy!**

Katara was late.

They were all sitting in the "family" dining room, and Katara had not come in with the others.

Sokka, Aang, and Toph had begun to eat already, helping themselves to the heaping bowls on the low table. Suki, though, who sat to his left, wasn't eating yet, and neither was he.

Zuko wanted to talk to Katara about their bending duel, but he couldn't do that if she wasn't around.

Suki cleared her throat, "Maybe she's not feeling well."

Zuko glanced over the brown haired woman, a question in his gaze.

"She was going to take me to the library this morning," Suki explained, "But she never came to find me, and when I knocked on her bedroom door, no one answered."

He nodded, then shifted in his seat, and beckoned on of the attendants. Once the young man had stooped beside the seated Firelord, Zuko gave him quiet orders, then turned back to his meal, and his guests.

With a mental sigh, he helped himself to some of the food that was arrayed before him.

To Suki he said, "I sent someone to inquire with her personal servant. I'm sure it's nothing. I saw her this morning, and she seemed to be unhappy with this heat. Perhaps she decided to avoid it."

Suki nodded, and served herself, letting her attention turn to the loud conversation between Sokka and Toph. Listening in, Zuko discovered that they were discussing the best way to forge a sword; Toph was convinced she could bend a better weapon than Sokka, while the water tribesman was adamant in his belief that the traditional way of forging swords was the best.

He ate his food slowly, neglecting to appreciate the delicious, yet rather simple foods he prefered. The young attendant did not return.

Zuko participated in the supper's conversation absentmindedly, most of his attention focused on his memory of that morning.

_Why had Katara screamed like that? She'd seemed frightened, almost hysterical for a moment..._

He was brought to the present by the commotion of Suki, Sokka, Aang and Toph rising from their seats. He stood too, a little belatedly.

He was the last person left in the room, with a chorus of "good night"s echoing in his ears, and a lingering look from Suki, which conveyed the concern he was feeling for Katara.

He nodded at the Kyoshi warrior as she exited the room, silently acknowledging her concern, and determining that he was going to find his absent guest.

He walked out of the room, and found the young man he had sent to speak with Mina waiting for him. The boy was staring at the ground.

Zuko cleared his throat, and the boy jumped, then bowed quickly.

"My lord," the boy said, his voice just above a whisper, "I found Mina, as you requested, but she said-she said that she didn't know where Lady Katara is at."

The boy cringed back as he said the words, as if expecting Zuko to rage at him.

And he did feel an upwelling of frustration, but not at the young attendant. Instead, he laid a hand on the boys hunched shoulders, and said "thank you", softly.

The boy glanced up at him as Zuko walked past, a grin tugging at his lips.

Zuko, however, didn't pay much attention to his eased conscience as he strode down the palace halls.

He found Mina standing outside Katara's bedroom doors, wringing her hands. When she saw him, she bowed low, then straightened slightly, her eyes still on the floor.

"I'm sorry, my lord," she began, her voice trembling a little- Zuko bit back a sigh, _did all of his servants hold the belief that he would explode at them at any given moment?_- the woman continued, "I have no idea where Lady Katara is. I left her in her rooms this morning, but when I came back a little while later, she was gone."

The woman glanced up at him, her face pale, "I've been searching the palace the entire day."

He raised his brows, but wasn't surprised; the palace was a maze of rooms and hallways and courtyards that, if stretched out, would be miles and miles long.

"That's fine, Mina," Zuko said, cracking open Katara's door, "I'm sure she's fine. There's plenty of places she could have gotten to."

Her room was empty, the last rays of the dying sun were streaming in through the large windows. Zuko was ignoring the surge of anxiety that was welling up inside him; Katara could take care of herself. She was a master waterbender, for Agni's sake!

He shut her door.

"If she isn't back soon, inform me, and I'll decide what to do. She may have just found a corner to read in, or taken a walk in the gardens."

Mina nodded, but nervousness was etched across her face, "Yes, Firelord."

Zuko left the woman standing outside Katara's door, and walked to the side entrance. There was a good chance that Katara was in the gardens; he knew she liked to walk around the shaded paths.

He exited the palace, and sniffed the breeze that came his way.

It was going to rain.

Zuko could always tell if it was going to rain. There was a difference in the weight of the air, or the smell of the earth, and the heat of the sky. He just knew.

So he walked through his gardens with purpose, searching for Katara. He knew he shouldn't be worried, but knowing and feeling were two very different things.

He came across one elderly woman, two young boys and an embracing couple in the darkening gardens, but no waterbender.

He huffed, and went back to the side entrance. Before entering, he noted that a bank of thick clouds was encroaching from the ocean, and low thunder rolled far away. He smiled grimly. He was never wrong about rain.

Zuko walked through the elaborate doors, into the palace and tried to dismiss the worry Katara was causing him. She was independent, he knew that, and she could be anywhere.

He decided to get to his rooms by way of the west wing.

Aang's bedroom door was cracked open, and Zuko heard the murmuring voices of the avatar and a certain earthbender coming from the interior.

Sokka poked his head out of his door as Zuko strode past.

"Hey," he called, stepping out a little further, revealing that he was in simple lounging clothes, "Have you seen Katara around? Her maid's been looking for her..."

"I haven't," Zuko answered, noting that Mina was still standing outside of Katara's doors, "But I'm sure she's around somewhere. I recently showed her the palace library, so perhaps she's found a nook to read in."

Sokka grinned, "I wouldn't be surprised. You know, for a girl who's had plenty of adventures, she sure likes to read about more. I don't get it."

Rubbing his hair, the other man went back into his rooms.

Zuko came to Mina, who murmured, "She hasn't returned yet, my lord."

Zuko frowned, pinching his nose between his fingers, but then an idea came to him.

_Why hadn't he thought of that before?_

"That's alright, Mina, I think I may know where she is."

He left, maneuvering his ways through the palace halls with purpose. He should have looked there first, he knew she liked to go there-

A steady thrumming sound filled the hall, and Zuko glanced up at a skylight to see rain running down in thick streams.

He came to the hallway he wanted, and was greeted by a flood of cool, damp air. Rain was falling off the roof, creating a curtain which obstructed his view of his mother's garden.

He winced a little as he stepped under that curtain, and into the rain, which fell down in steady waves upon the grass. It was chilly.

Sitting underneath the willow tree, was Katara.

Even from behind, he could see she was soaked. This puzzled him, for Katara could bend the water away from herself with minimal effort. She just sat still, a shadowy from, illuminated only by the lanterns in the open halls that surrounded the garden.

And she was soaked, her dark dress clinging to her shoulders, her hair dripping and straight, hanging down her back. The only thing that distinguished her from a disheveled garden statue was her shoulders, moving up and down slightly with her breaths.

His foot found a root as he made his way towards her, and Zuko stumbled, a curse flying from his lips.

Katara jumped. She whipped her head around, searching the garden.

Zuko stepped forward, ignoring his twinging foot.

"Zuko here."

She stared at him, strands of wet hair dangling in front of her dusky face, then she said quietly, "Good evening, Zuko."

He took her greeting as a signal that she didn't want him to leave immediately, and so he walked over to her, his boot clad feet squelching on the ground, and crossed his legs and sat down.

She'd turned her head back to stare at the pond, whose surface was pebbled by rain drops and ripples.

He watched her.

Katara's face was impassive, but drawn, and pale for the darker skinned woman. She was holding her shoulders up a little higher than usual, with her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She did not look well. No, she had the demeanor of someone who had just received rather disturbing news.

Zuko felt his frown form. She looked shell-shocked, and this shocked him in return.

Katara was the confident one; she was the person who held fast to her convictions, and braved any storm. To see her sitting out in the rain, looking for all the nation like a lost little child-

"We were wondering where you had gotten to," he said congenially, tightly reigning in his swelling rage-against whatever had caused this- "You didn't show up for dinner, and Suki said she missed you this morning as well."

Katara blinked.

"I forgot. I was going to show Suki the library," she finally answered, her hands tightening upon, what Zuko realized was, a piece of parchment that was limp with rain, "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."

"You didn't," Zuko said, settling back against the willow, where he had a clear view of her face, and mentally dismissing the small flurry she had caused with her disappearance, "We just missed you at dinner."  
"Sorry." She said again.

"Don't be," he answered firmly, wanting to reach out and hug her thin shoulders.

They sat in the rain for some time, neither of them speaking or moving. The water fell down in a soft, steady sheet, muffling the faint light that reached out from the halls, and drowning out any noise that might have been heard in the night.

Katara moved first, shaking her head slightly, then looking back at him.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked, her face betraying no interest in what she was asking.

He cleared his throat, then said "Yes, it was not quite as exciting after our spar, but it was fine."

Her eyes lit up a little at his mention of their duel.

"What did you do today?" He inquired, noting that she cast her eyes back to the pond at his question.

She hesitated, then answered "Nothing much. I'd have to agree with you; our spar was the best part of my day."

Zuko pushed further, "Suki said you were going to show her the library this morning. Did something come up?"

Katara shrugged.

"I decided to visit these gardens, and I must have lost track of the time."

_For the entire day?_

"I see," he said, making a quick brush at his rain soaked face-water was dripping into his eyes- then he asked the question that showed he was his uncle's nephew.

"Did you eat anything today?"

Katara looked back up at him, a slightly surprised expression on her face.

"I, umn, forgot" she admitted.

Zuko made up his mind, and stood up abruptly. Water fell off him in small falls, escaping the mall pools it had made while he sat.

He extended his hand down to Katara, who stared at it, as if unsure of what to do.

"Come on," He said, leaning down and picking up one of her cold hands, "We'll get you something to eat."

Zuko pulled her up, though she offered no resistance-she seemed to drift into standing, like there wasn't much holding her down.

Once up, she blinked, looking around the dark garden.

"It's later than I thought," she said, mildly, then, "It's raining."

Zuko still held her hand as he led her through the wet garden, and into the hall.

They stood there, out of the rain, forming small puddles from their soaking clothes.

Katara took a deep breath, then said "Here, I can help with that."

Before he knew what had happened, the waterbender had withdrawn her hand from his and bent all the water out of his clothing. She did the same for herself, then sent the water twisting back into the garden.

"Thanks" Zuko said, then took her hand again-it was still cold-and walked down the hall, a silent Katara in his wake.

Lio was guarding his door again-did that man have constant "Firelord Duty"?-and Zuko gave him a few brief orders before opening his bedroom door and pulling Katara in with him. He left the door open.

His rooms were dark, but he fixed that with little effort. The high wall lamps were lit quickly, as were the tall candles scattered about his room.

He led Katara over to the low table that always had a teapot of water at the ready, and gently pushed her onto one of the large, soft pillows that surrounded it.

She watched him as he settled onto one himself, then began the familiar and comforting process of making tea. He was in the middle of heating the water when she stated "I should probably go back to my rooms. I don't want to be a nuisance."

"It's not a problem," he said quickly, not willing to let her leave yet, "And I just asked for some food to be brought here, so it would be a waste if you left now."

Katara nodded, then looked down to her hands, folded in her lap.

Zuko made the tea in the silence, concentrating on the quantity of leaves he put in, the heat of the water, and the time that passed. Once he was satisfied, he poured the steaming, dark liquid into the small tea cups on the table, and placed one in front of Katara.

"Thank you" she murmured, raising the cup to her lips and drinking.

He watched as her eyebrows shot up, and her eyes flickered to his face. Zuko winced. He must have messed up again. He knew that leaves and spices he had mixed were prone to brew quickly; Uncle had told him many times. He waited as she set the cup down and cleared her throat.

"That," she said quietly, "Is quite good."

His heart leapt in his chest.

"When did you learn to brew tea so well? Last I remember, the tea you made was barely drinkable."

Zuko relaxed, and leaned against the table. She was making conversation, and some color had come back into her cheeks.

"Uncle sent me very specific instructions when he returned to Ba-Sing-Se. He says that every man should be able to brew his own tea, no matter his station in life."

Her lips twitched.

"He should send some instructions to Aang, then. The Avatar should be as capable as making tea as the Firelord, don't you think? Or perhaps better, giving his standing in the world..."

Zuko grinned. Aang's tea was-

"I don't know if there's any hope for Aang. The last tea he made-"

"In your uncle's tea shop" she added.

"Yes, that tea he made at the Jasmine Dragon wasn't even fit to be called leaf juice. It _killed _a plant."

Katara chuckled, and took another sip of tea.

"It was too bad. I liked that plant. It was a Panda Lily, I think."

Zuko shook his head, "Poor plant."

They finished their tea in comfortable silence, Katara studying his room, and Zuko studying Katara.

Just as he finished the last sip in his cup, a young woman walked in, bearing a large tray covered with steaming bowls.

"I thought you might like something to eat" he explained after his companion asked "What is...?"

"Oh."

Then, "Thanks, Zuko."

He nodded, and thanked the servant as she set the tray on the table.

He saw her eyes widen with surprise as she took in the variety of food before her. Zuko was a little amused as well. He'd only asked for a small meal for his friend.

"What should I..." She trailed off, gesturing at the assembly of colorful foods before her.

Zuko took pity on her, and scooted around the corner of the table, seating himself next to her.

"This one," he said, pointing to a rice dish peppered with bits of meat, "Is one of my favourites, but it might be too spicy for you."

He piled some of the dish into a bowl, then dolloped some yogurt onto it from a separate container.

"Here," he offered the bowl to Katara, "The yogurt helps with the spice, makes it more bearable for people like watertribe peasants who can't handle anything more than salted seal jerky."

She flicked a piece of rice at his face.

"I'll have you know," she said as she sniffed at the bowl, "That I am now considered almost royalty in my tribe. Not only am I the daughter of the chief, but I am also the first female waterbending master my tribe has had for years, _and _the Avatar's waterbending master."

She took a bite of the food, and her eyes brightened.

"This is delicious," she offered, around bites, "maybe even better than seal jerky."

Zuko chuckled and helped himself to some sliced ash banana.

He was on his second fruit when Katara set her bowl down and asked, "Zuko?"

"Mhmm?"

"Why don't you have a bed like mine."

He choked a bit on his banana.

"Sorry?"

"Your bed," she repeated, gesturing towards the corner where he slept, "It's much smaller than mine in, and it's-it's on the ground."

He looked over to his bed.

It was true. It was much smaller than one might imagine, given the size of his rooms, and the overall grandeur of his palace.

"Well," he said, scratching his head, "I guess I never really liked the huge bed I had as a kid. I always felt dwarfed by it, like the covers might jump up and smother me at any time," he smiled grimly, "Actually, Azula might have tried that once. But, anyway, I discovered that once I returned home, I was much more comfortable in a smaller bed, on the floor than I was in a huge raised bed, as is usual in our bedrooms. I just had mine removed."

"I see," she said, tilting her head to look at him.

Zuko was suddenly very aware that she was sitting close to him, that her hair was slightly damp and smelled of rain, that she had rubbed her lips with the back of her hand and they looked a little swollen, that, with the way her neck was angled, he could probably bury his nose between her jaw and ear and lose himself in that smell of rain, that her shoulders were moving ever so gently up and down, and her hands were clasped together in her lap around a piece of paper-

"Zuko?"

He met her gaze, trying to cool the slow heat that had dropped into his lower stomach. Her face was not so far from his...

"I should probably get back to my rooms."

That got his attention.

"Yeah," he answered, standing up and brushing off his spotless pants, "I'll walk you back."

She stood up as well, then glanced back down at the table.

"Thank you," she said as she followed him out the open door, and past his guard, "I didn't know I was hungry until you had food brought in."

Zuko slowed his pace to match hers, and walked alongside the slim, red clad figure.

"It wasn't a problem," he answered as they rounded a corner, "Think of it as an apology for scaring you this morning."

Her head jerked, and Zuko felt her stare as they walked on.

"You didn't scare me," She said, her voice taking on a hard edge, "It was- it was just..."

"What?" He demanded, his own voice harsher than he would have liked.

She shrugged.

_Shrugged! _

He had just spent the last how many minutes trying to warm her out of her rainy daze, and she shrugged?

"Katara," he exclaimed, coming to a halt, then rushing forward to catch up to her when she didn't, "Tell me. What happened this morning? You were frightened by something And then you disappeared for the whole day?"

She kept on walking. Part of him realized that she was walking with purpose, that she must know the way to her rooms.

"Katara." he growled out, his curiosity, concern and frustration coming to the surface. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a stop. She tugged twice, then stood still, facing away from him.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, trying to keep his voice civil.

She turned to face him, defiance written across her face.  
"Nothing," she hissed, her brows lowering, "I'm tired, and I would like to return to my rooms now."

With that she yanked her wrist free, and walked briskly down the hall.

Zuko raised his hands to the sky, silently-desperately pleading for patience, then followed her.

He caught up to her outside her bedroom doors. His hands slammed against the engraved wood as she tried to tug them open. Out of the corner of his eyes, Zuko caught sight of Mina dashing around the hall corner, and out of sight.

"Zuko," Katara said tightly, still pulling at the door handles, "I'd like to get into my bedroom."

"No. Tell me what happened this morning."

"Nothing happened."

He glared down at the smaller woman, who glared back up at him.

Zuko took a deep breath, "Katara," he began again, softening his tone, "I'm just worried, that's all. You scared me this morning. I've never seen you act like that before."

Her shoulders drooped fractionally.

"Fine. It was just-It- I was just reminded of a particularly bad memory. It made me uncomfortable."

_Uncomfortable? _She had screamed when he had been hovering over her on the bending courtyard, and she had twisted like a cornered animal. That had been more than "uncomfortable". The wild look in her eye had made shivers crawl up and down his spine.

"Of what?" He pressed, taking his hand off her door.

"It reminded me of a duel I fought once."

She'd lowered her head, and was staring at the polished marble floor.

"And?"

"And nothing!" She whipped her head up, her blue eyes practically shooting sparks, "It was just a bad experience. That's all, Zuko. I'm going to bed now."

She pulled at her door again, and he reached out once more, not allowing her to open it.

"Zuko!"

He took a deep breath. She was angry at him now, and part of him knew that he deserved it. She obviously didn't want to talk about what happened this morning, and she hadn't been forthcoming about the day either. Another part of him protested this, shouting that he was only being concerned for her, that she hadn't seemed like Katara when he had first seen her in his mother's garden. And another part of him quietly pointed out that Katara looked beautiful when she was angry. Her hair was falling about her shoulders, her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed.

He shoved aside his inward thinking, and gently gripped her shoulders with his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, as she glared up at him, "I didn't mean to push you. I was only worried."

Her gaze softened, and Katara sighed then nodded once,

"It's okay, Zuko," she answered, just as quietly, "I'm sorry I made you worry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble today, either. It's just-" she shrugged (_again!)_- "I have been really busy lately, and now it's all catching up with me."

Zuko kept his brows from raising.__Busy? That was her excuse. He knew her better than to believe it was just fatigue that was bothering her. She hadn't been like this a few days before-not that he had seen her much since the Lily Festival-and the tight set of her lips was not something caused by business.

But she had expressed that she wanted him to leave it alone an sdo he would. At least until she told him what was really going on. Because, he would find out what was happening with Katara.

"Alright," he said, his hands still on her shoulders, "I'll let you get to bed then."

And on impulse, he quickly leaned forward and brushed his lips across her forehead.

She didn't stiffen, but he felt her still, then turn her head up to look at his.

"Goodnight, Zuko." She said, stepping out from under his hands.

Katara turned back to her door and opened it, while he watched. He was still standing there as it started to close, then paused.

A slender form darted out, and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his chest.

Zuko felt his heart stop, then start up again with a great shock.

And then she was gone, and the doors to her bedroom were closed.

Zuko stared at them for a while longer, then turned to walk back to his own rooms as the rain beat steadily on the palace roof.

**aelisabetchilds: **

**I feel like I'm always ending these scenes outside of Katara's bedroom…huh. I've no idea why(?) But, what the heck… It's my story. Hehehe. Ya'll are just along for the ride!**


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